■n 


PRELIMINARY  REPORT 

OF  THE  COMMISSION   APPOINTED  BY 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

TO   INVESTIGATE 

MODERN  SPIRITUALISM 

IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE  REQUEST  OF  THE  LATE 

HENRY  SEYBERT 

WITH  A  FOREWORD  BY  H.  H.  FURNESS,  JR. 


PHILADELPHIA  AND  LONDON 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 
1920 


'SSSt 


Itf 


COPYRIGHT,   1887,  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 
PREFACE  COPYRIGHTED,    1920,  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

AT  THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 

PHILADELPHIA,  U.  S.  A. 


FOREWORD 

Now,  at  the  present  time,  when  the  attention  of  the  public  is 
turning  towards  questions  of  Psychology  and  Psychiatry,  it  is 
most  appropriate  that  a  volume  such  as  the  present  Report  be 
again  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  public.  While  it  cannot  be  said 
that  the  conclusions  reached  by  the  Seybert  Commission  were 
final,  yet  material  for  future  investigation  was  furnished  and 
facts  so  clearly  stated  that  the  reader  might  form  his  own  con- 
clusions. The  purpose  and  intended  scope  of  the  Commission 
are  plainly  set  forth  in  the  Preliminary  sections,  and  therefore 
need  not  be  entered  upon  here. 

Of  the  members  composing  that  Commission  but  one  is  now 
surviving,  Dr.  Calvin  B.  Knerr,  who  contributed  an  interesting 
report  on  the  slate-writing  medium,  Mrs.  Patterson.  The  sec- 
tions by  the  Acting-Chairman,  Dr.  Horace  Howard  Purness,  on 
Mediumistic  Development,  Sealed  Letters,  and  Materialization 
were  the  occasion  of  acrimonious  and  violent  attack  on  the  whole 
work  of  the  Commission  by  those  periodicals  devoted  to  spirit- 
ualism and  its  propaganda.  Age  cannot  wither  the  charm  of  the 
good  humoured  satire  with  which  the  Acting-Chairman  treated 
these  subjects;  and  it  was  largely  the  spirit  in  which  they  were 
thus  approached  that  inspired  the  intense  hostility  on  the  part 
of  the  spiritual  mediums  and  their  many  followers. 

It  has  been  epigram m  atically  said  that,  Superstition  is, 
in  many  cases,  the  cloak  that  keeps  a  man's  religion  from 
dying  of  cold;  possibly  the  same  may  be  said  of  Spiritual- 
ism and  Psychology. 

February,  1920.  H.  H.  FuKNESS,  Jb. 


415476 


PRELIMINARY  REPORT 

OF 

The  Seybert  Commission  for  Investigating  Modem  Spiritualism. 


To  the  Trustees  of  The  University  of  Pennsylvania : 

1  The  Seybert  Commission  for  Investigating  Modern  Spirit- 
ualism '  respectfully  present  the  following  Preliminary  Report, 
and  request  that  the  Commission  be  continued,  on  the  follow- 
ing grounds : 

The  Commission  is  composed  of  men  whose  days  are  already 
filled  with  duties  which  cannot  be  laid  aside,  and  who  are 
able,  therefore,  to  devote  but  a  small  portion  of  their  time 
to  these  investigations.  They  are  conscious  that  your  honor- 
able body  look  to  them  for  a  due  performance  of  their  task, 
and  the  only  assurance  which  they  can  offer  of  their 
earnestness  and  zeal  is  in  thus  presenting  to  you,  from  time 
to  time,  such  fragmentary  Reports  as  the  following,  whereby 
they  trust  that  successive  steps  in  their  progress  may  be 
marked.  It  is  no  small  matter  to  be  able  to  record  any 
progress  in  a  subject  of  so  wide  and  deep  an  interest  as  the 
present.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  farther  our  in- 
vestigations extend  the  more  imperative  appears  the  demand 
for  these  investigations.  The  belief  in  so-called  Spiritualism 
is  certainly  not  decreasing.  It  has  from  the  first  assumed  a  re- 
ligious tone,  and  now  claims  to  be  ranked  among  the  denomi- 
national Faiths  of  the  day. 

(3) 


4 

From  the  outset  youi  Commission  have  been  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  seriousness  of  their  undertaking,  and  have 
fully  recognized  that  men  eminent  in  intelligence  and 
attainments  yield  to  Spiritualism  an  entire  credence,  and 
who  can  fail  to  stand  aside  in  tender  reverence  when 
crushed  and  bleeding  hearts  are  seen  to  seek  it  for  consolation 
and  for  hope  ?  They  beg  that  nothing  which  they  may  say 
may  be  interpreted  as  indicating  indifference  or  levity. 
Wherever  fraud  in  Spiritualism  be  Lund,  that  it  is,  and 
not  whatever  of  truth  there  may  be  therein,  which  is  de- 
nounced, and  all  Spiritualists  who  love  the  truth  will  join 
with  us  in  condemnation  of  it. 

The  admission  of  evidence  concerning  the  so-called  Spiritual 
manifestations  has  been  duly  weighed.  There  is  apparent 
force  in  the  argument  that  our  national  histories  are  founded, 
accepted  and  trusted  on  evidence  by  no  means  as  direct  as  that 
by  which,  it  is  claimed,  the  proofs  of  Spiritual  miracles  are 
accompanied.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  facts  of 
profane  history  are  vouched  for  by  evidence  which  is  in  accord 
with  our  present  experience;  they  are  in  harmony  with  all  that 
is  now  going  on  in  the  light  of  day  (that  history  repeats  itself 
has  grown  into  a  commonplace),  and  we  are  justified  in  ac- 
cepting them  on  testimony,  however  indirect,  which  is  never- 
theless at  one  with  the  ordinary  course  of  events.  But  the 
phenomena  of  Spiritualism  have  no  such  support;  they  are 
commonly  regarded  as  in  contravention  of  the  ordinary  ex- 
perience of  mankind  (in  that  they  are  abnormal  and  extra- 
ordinary lies  their  very  attractiveness  to  many  people),  and 
no  indirect  testimony  concerning  them  can  be  admitted 
without  the  most  thorough,  the  most  searching  scrutiny. 
We  doubt  if  any  thoughtful  Spiritualist  could  be  found 
to  maintain  that  we  should  unquestioningly  accept  all  the 
so-called  '  facts '   with    which   their  annals  teem.       To    sift 


the  evidence  of  merely  half  a  dozen  would  require  incalcu- 
lable labor.  Wherefore  we  decided  that,  as  we  shall  be  held 
responsible  for  our  conclusions,  we  must  form  those  conclu- 
sions solely  on  our  own  observations ;  without  at  all  imputing 
untrustworthiness  to  the  testimony  of  others  we  can  really 
vouch  only  for  facts  which  we  have  ourselves  observed. 

The  late  Mr.  Henry  Seybert  during  his  lifetime  was  known  as 
an  enthusiastic  believer  in  Modern  Spiritualism,  and  shortly  be- 
fore his  death  presented  to  The  University  of  Pennsylvania  a 
sum  of  money  sufficient  to  found  a  chair  of  Philosophy,  and  to 
the  gift  added  a  condition  that  the  University  should  appoint  a 
Commission  to  investigate  'all  systems  of  Morals,  Religion,  or 
Philosophy  which  assume  to  represent  the  Truth,  and  particu- 
larly of  Modern  Spiritualism.' 

A  Commission  was  accordingly  appointed,  composed  as  fol- 
lows: Dr.  William  Pepper,  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy,  Dr.  George  A. 
Koenig,  Professor  Robert  Ellis  Thompson,  Professor  George  S. 
Fullerton  and  Dr.  Horace  Howard  Furness;  to  whom  were 
afterwards  added  Mr.  Coleman  Sellers,  Dr.  James  W.  White, 
Dr.  Calvin  B.  Knerr  and  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell.  Of  this  Com- 
mission Dr.  Pepper,  as  Provost  of  The  University,  was,  ex-officiOj 
Chairman,  Dr.  Furness,  Acting  Chairman,  and  Professor  Ful- 
lerton, Secretary. 

As  a  befitting  preliminary,  at  one  of  our  earliest  meetings 
each  member  in  turn  expressed  his  entire  freedom  from  all 
prejudices  against  the  subject  to  be  investigated,  and  his  readi- 
ness to  accept  any  conclusion  warranted  by  facts;  one  of  our 
number,  the  Acting  Chairman,  so  far  from  being  unprejudiced 
confessed  to  a  leaning  in  favor  of  the  substantial  truth  of 
Spiritualism. 

We  deemed  ourselves  fortunate  at  the  outset  in  having  as  a 


6 

counselor  the  late  Mr.  Thos.  R,  Hazard,  a  personal  friend  of 
Mr.  Seybert,  and  widely  known  throughout  the  land  as  an  un- 
compromising Spiritualist. 

By  the  advice  of  Mr.  Hazard  we  addressed  ourselves  first  to 
the  investigation  of  Independent  Slate  Writing,  and  through 
his  aid  a  seance  for  this  purpose  was  arranged  with  a  noted 
Medium,  Mrs.  S.  E.  Patterson. 

This  mode  of  manifesting  Spiritualistic  power,  as  far  as 
it  has  come  under  our  observation,  is,  concisely  stated,  the 
writing  on  the  concealed  surface  of  a  slate  which  is  in  contact 
with  a  Medium.  In  the  present  instance,  between  two  slates 
fastened  together  by  a  hinge  on  one  side  and  a  screw  on 
the  other,  there  was  placed  a  small  fragment  of  slate  pen- 
cil ;  when  this  fragment  is  bitten  off  by  the  Medium,  it  re- 
ceives, so  Mr.  Hazard  assured  us,  additional  Spiritualistic  power. 
As  soon  as  a  Spirit  has  finished  writing  its  communication  with 
the  pencil  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  slates,  the  completion  of 
the  task  is  made  known  by  the  appearance  of  the  slate  pencil  on 
the  outside,  upon  the  slates.  The  slates  are  always  held  in  con- 
cealment under  the  table,  and  never  has  this  remarkable  pas- 
sage of  the  pencil  through  the  solid  substance  of  the  slate  been 
witnessed  by  any  one,  not  even  by  the  Medium  herself,  in  all 
the  years  during  which  this  wonderful  phenomenon  has  been 
a  matter  of  daily,  almost  hourly,  experience. 

Our  first  seance  was  held  in  the  evening  at  the  Medium's 
own  home.  The  slates  were  screwed  together  with  the  bit  of 
slate  pencil  enclosed,  and  held  by  the  Medium  between  her  open 
palms,  in  her  lap,  under  the  table.  After  waiting  an  hour  and 
a  half  without  the  least  response  on  the  slates  from  the  Spirits, 
the  attempt  was  abandoned  for  that  evening  much  to  the  dis- 
appointment, not  only  of  us  all,  but  to  the  chagrin  of  Mr. 
Hazard,  who  could  not  understand  '  what  the  deuce  was  in  it, 
seeing  that  the  Medium  was  one  of  the  very  best  in  the  world,  and 


on  the  preceding  evening,  when  he  was  all  alone  with  her,  the 
messages  from  the  spirit  of  Henry  Seybert  came  thick  and  fast.' 

No  better  success  attended  our  second  seance  with  this  Me- 
dium, although  we  waited  patiently  an  hour  and  twenty 
minutes,  while  the  slates  were  in  the  Medium's  lap. 

By  the  advice  of  the  Medium,  in  order  to  eliminate  any  pos- 
sible antagonism,  we  divided  our  numbers,  and  only  one  or 
two  of  us  at  a  time  sat  with  her.  On  one  occasion  writing  did 
appear  on  the  slates,  after  the  slates  had  been  held  by  both 
hands  of  the  Medium  for  a  long  time  in  concealment  under 
the  table,  but  to  neither  of  the  two  sitters  did  the  screw  appear 
to  be  by  any  means  as  tightly  fastened  after  the  writing  as 
before;  nor  did  the  writing  of  two  or  three  illegible  words 
seem  beyond  the  resources  of  very  humble  legerdemain;  in 
fact,  no  legerdemain  was  needed,  after  a  surreptitious  loosen- 
ing of  the  screw  which,  considering  the  state  of  the  frame  of 
the  slate,  could  have  been  readily  effected. 

From  some  cause  or  other  the  atmosphere  of  Philadelphia 
is  not  favorable  to  this  mode  of  Spiritual  manifestation.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Medium  just  alluded  to,  not  a  single 
Professional  Independent  Slate  Writing  Medium  was  known 
to  us  at  that  time  in  this  city,  nor  is  there  one  resident  here 
even  at  this  present  writing,  as  far  as  we  know. 

We  were,  therefore,  obliged  to  send  for  one  to  New  York. 
With  this  Medium,  Dr.  Henry  Slade,  we  had  a  number  of 
sittings,  and,  however  wonderful  may  have  been  the  manifes- 
tations of  his  Mediumship  in  the  past,  or  elsewhere,  we  were 
forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  character  of  those  which 
passed  under  our  observation  was  fraudulent  throughout. 
There  was  really  no  need  of  any  elaborate  method  of  investi- 
gation; close  observation  was  all  that  was  required. 

At  the  risk  of  appearing  inconsequent  by  mentioning  that 
first  which  in  point  of  time  came  last,  we  must  premise  that 


in  our  investigations  with  this  Medium  we  early  discovered 
the  character  of  the  writing  to  be  twofold,  and  the  difference 
between  the  two  styles  to  be  striking.  In  one  case  the 
communication  written  on  the  slate  by  the  Spirits  was  general 
in  its  tone,  legible  in  its  chirography,  and  usually  covered 
much  of  the  surface  of  the  slate,  punctuation  being  attended 
to,  the  i's  dotted,  and  the  fs  crossed.  In  the  second,  when  the 
communication  was  in  answer  to  a  question  addressed  to  a 
Spirit  the  writing  was  clumsy,  rude,  scarcely  legible,  abrupt 
in  terms,  and  sometimes  very  vague  in  substance.  In  short, 
one  bore  the  marks  of  deliberation  and  the  other  of  haste. 
This  difference  we  found  to  be  due  to  the  different  conditions 
under  which  the  communications  were  written.  The  long 
messages  are  prepared  by  the  Medium  before  the  seance.  The 
short  ones,  answers  to  questions  asked  during  the  seance, 
are  written  under  the  table  with  what  skill  practice  can  confer. 

With  this  knowledge,  it  is  clear  that  the  investigator  has  to 
deal  with  a  simple  question  of  legerdemain.  The  slate,  with  its 
message  already  written,  must  in  some  way  be  substituted  for 
one  which  the  sitter  knows  to  be  clean.  The  short  answers 
must  be  written  under  trying  circumstances,  out  of  sight,  under 
the  table,  with  all  motions  of  the  arm  or  hand  concealed.  It 
is  useless  to  attempt  to  limit  the  methods  whereby  these  two 
objects  may  be  attained.  All  that  we  can  do  is  to  describe  the 
processes  which  we  distinctly  saw  this  Medium  adopt. 

In  its  simplest  form  (and  one  which  any  person  can  try 
with  astonishing  results  upon  an  artless,  unsuspicious  sitter),  a 
slate,  on  which,  before  the  sitter's  visit,  a  message  has  been 
written,  is  lying  face  downward  on  the  table  when  the  seance 
begins.  There  are  other  slates  on  an  adjoining  table  within 
easy  reach  of  the  Medium.  In  order  that  the  Medium  may  be 
brought  into  Spiritual  relationship  with  the  sitters,  contact 
with  the  Medium  is  necessary,  and  the  sitters  are  therefore 


9 

requested  to  place  their  hands,  palms  downward,  in  the  middle 
of  the  table ;  on  these  hands  the  Medium  places  his  own  and 
the  seance  begins.  Before  long,  the  presence  of  Spiritual  power 
becomes  manifest  by  raps  on  the  table,  or  by  vibratory  move- 
ments of  the  table,  more  or  less  violent,  and  by  spasmodic  jerk- 
ings  or  twitching  of  the  Medium's  arms  or  body.  When  sufficient 
Spiritual  power  has  been  generated,  the  Medium  takes  up  the 
slate,  and,  still  controlling  with  his  left  hand  the  hands  of  his 
sitters,  places  on  it  a  minute  fragment  of  slate  pencil.  No  offer 
is  made  to  show  both  sides  (the  prepared  message  is  on  the 
hidden  side),  the  side  in  full  view  is  perfectly  clean,  and  it  is  on 
that  side  that  the  Spirits  are  to  write  with  the  slate  pencil;  there 
is  no  need  of  showing  the  other  side.  With  his  right  hand  the 
Medium  holds  the  slate  under  the  edge  of  the  table,  barely 
concealing  it  thereunder,  and  drawing  it  forth  every  few  sec- 
onds to  see  if  any  writing  has  appeared.  After  waiting  in  vain 
for  five  or  ten  minutes,  the  Medium's  patience  becomes  ex- 
hausted, and  he  reaches  for  another  slate  from  the  table  close 
behind  him,  and,  ostentatiously  washing  both  sides  of  it,  lays  it 
on  the  table  in  front  of  him  (still  controlling  with  his  left  hand 
the  hands  of  his  sitters),  and  removes  the  pencil  from  the  first 
slate  to  the  second,  and  on  top  of  the  second  so  places  the  first 
slate  that  the  prepared  message  is  underneath,  on  the  inside 
and  next  to  the  other  slate.  The  trick  is  done.  All  that  now 
remains  for  the  Medium  to  do  is  to  hold  the  two  slates  under 
the  table  for  awhile,  or  rest  them  on  the  shoulder  close  to 
the  ear  of  the  sitter  on  the  Medium's  right,  and,  by  scratching 
with  the  finger  nail  on  the  frame  of  the  slate,  to  imitate  the 
writing  by  the  Spirits  with  the  enclosed  pencil.  When  there 
are  two  or  more  sitters  it  is  only  the  one  on  the  right  of  the 
Medium  who  is  privileged  to  hear  the  writing.  To  apply 
the  slate  to  the  ear  of  any  other  would  disclose  the  way  in 
which  the  sound  of  the  writing  is  counterfeited.     To  him, 


10 

therefore,  who  sits  on  the  Medium's  left,  so  that  the  Medium's 
hand,  while  holding  the  slates  on  the  shoulder  of  the  sitter  on 
the  right,  is  sharply  outlined  against  the  light,  the  motions  of 
the  Medium's  fingers  while  the  sound  of  writing  is  imitated  by 
him  may  be  distinctly  seen. 

By  such  elementary  tricks  of  legerdemain  as  these  are  guile- 
less, honest  folk  deceived. 

Dr.  Slade  prefers  to  have  only  two  sitters  at  a  time,  one  on 
his  right  and  one  opposite.  The  fourth  side  of  the  table  he 
prefers  to  have  unoccupied;  his  manipulations  of  the  slate 
can  be  from  that  side  more  readily  observed ;  moreover,  strange 
Spiritual  antics  may  be  there  manifested,  such  as  upsetting 
chairs  which  happen  to  be  there,  making  slates  appear  above 
the  edge  of  the  table,  etc.  These  manifestations  are  executed 
by  the  Medium's  foot,  which,  on  one  occasion,  was  distinctly 
seen  before  it  had  time  to  get  back  into  its  slipper  by  one  of 
our  number,  who  stooped  very  quickly  to  pick  up  a  slate  which 
had  accidentally  fallen  to  the  floor  while  the  Spirits  were  trying 
to  put  it  into  the  lap  of  one  of  the  sitters. 

At  the  first  two  seances  an  ordinary  wooden  table  was  used 
belonging  to  the  hotel  where  Dr.  Slade  lodged.  At  the  third 
stance  a  similar  but  larger  table  was  used,  somewhat  the  worse 
for  wear,  and  the  joints  of  its  leaves  were  far  from  fitting  close. 
Every  crack,  however,  and  every  chink  had  been  carefully 
filled  up  with  paper  to  prevent,  so  the  Medium  said, '  the  elec- 
tricity from  flowing  through.' 

The  method  of  producing  the  long  message  which  opened 
the  seance  has  been  described  above.  Whenever  we  received 
other  long  messages,  written  with  some  care  and  more  or  less 
filling  the  side  of  the  slate,  the  agency  employed  was  adroit 
substitution,  generally  effected  when  the  Medium  supposed 
that  the  attention  of  his  sitters  was  engrossed  with  an  answer 
just  received  to  a  question  addressed  to  the  Spirits.     Prepared 


11 

slates  resting  against  the  leg  of  the  table  behind  him  were  sub- 
stituted for  those  which  but  a  moment  before  he  had 
ostentatiously  washed  on  both  sides  and  laid  on  the  table  in 
front  of  him.  The  handwriting  of  these  long  messages  bore 
an  unmistakable  similarity  to  the  Medium's  own. 

When  a  question  is  written  on  the  slate  by  a  sitter,  equal 
dexterity  to  that  used  in  substituting  the  prepared  slate,  or 
even  greater,  is  demanded  of  the  Medium,  in  reading  the  ques- 
tion and  in  writing  the  answer. 

The  question  is  written  by  the  sitter  out  of  sight  of  the 
Medium,  to  whom  the  slate,  face  downward,  is  handed  over 
and  a  piece  of  pencil  placed  on  it. 

The  task  now  before  the  Medium  is  first  to  secure  the  frag- 
ment of  pencil  and  to  hold  it  while  the  slate  is  surreptitiously 
turned  over  and  the  question  read,  then  the  slate  is  turned 
back  again  and  the  answer  written. 

Every  step  in  the  process  we  have  distinctly  seen.  In  order  to 
seize  the  fragment  of  pencil  without  awakening  suspicion, 
while  holding  the  slate  under  the  table,  the  slate  is  constantly 
brought  out  to  see  whether  or  not  the  Spirits  have  written  an 
answer.  By  this  manoeuvre  a  double  end  is  attained  r  First,  it 
creates  an  atmosphere  of  expectation,  and  the  sitters  grow  ac- 
customed to  a  good  deal  of  motion  in  the  Medium's  arm  that 
holds  the  slate  ;  and  secondly,  by  these  repeated  motions  the 
pencil  (which,  having  been  cut  out  from  a  slate  pencil  enclosed 
in  wood,  is  square,  and  does  not  roll  about  awkwardly),  is 
moved  by  the  successive  jerks  toward  the  hand  which  holds 
the  slate,  and  is  gradually  brought  up  to  within  grasping 
distance.  The  forefinger  is  then  passed  over  the  frame  of  the 
slate,  and  it  and  the  thumb  seize  and  hold  the  pencil,  and 
under  cover  of  some  violent  convulsive  spasms  the  slate  is 
turned  over  and  the  question  read.  At  this  point  it  is  that  the 
Medium  shows  his  nerve :  it  is  the  critical  instant,  the  only  one 


12 

when  his  eyes  are  not  fastened  on  his  visitors.  On  one  occasion, 
when  the  question  was  written  somewhat  illegibly  in  a  back 
hand,  with  a  very  light  stroke,  and  close  to  the  upper  edge  of 
the  slate,  the  Medium  had  to  look  at  it  three  several  times 
before  he  could  make  it  out. 

After  reading  the  question,  it  may  be  noticed  that  Dr.  Slade 
winks  three  or  four  times  rapidly;  this  may  have  been 
partly  to  veil  from  his  visitors  the  fact  that  he  had  been  looking 
intently  downward,  and  partly  through  mental  abstraction  in 
devising  an  answer.  He  evidently  breathes  freer  when  this 
crisis  is  past. 

Convulsive  spasms  attend  the  reversing  of  the  slate,  which 
is  then  generally  held  between  his  knees ;  only  once  did  we  note 
that  he  placed  it  on  his  knees,  and  once  we  believed  that  he 
supported  it  by  pressing  it  against  the  leg  of  the  table.  The 
answer  is  written  without  looking  at  the  slate,  in  a  coarse,  large, 
sprawling  hand,  at  times  scarcely  legible.  While  writing  he 
keeps  his  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  his  visitors,  and  generally 
rests  a  minute  or  two  after  it  is  finished.  Presently  the  slate  is 
held  near  the  edge  of  the  table  and  close  up  to  it,  and  a  tremu- 
lous motion  imparted  to  it  suggests  that  Spiritual  power  is  then 
at  work  and  that  the  writing  is  in  progress. 

Dr.  Slade  performed  several  little  tricks  which  he  imputed 
to  Spiritual  agency,  but  which  were  almost  puerile  in  the  sim- 
plicity of  their  legerdemain,  and  which  have  been  repeated 
with  perfect  success  by  one  of  our  number ;  such  as  tossing  a 
slate  pencil  on  and  sometimes  over  the  table  from  a  slate  held 
apparently  under  the  table,  or  the  playing  of  an  accordion 
when  held  with  one  hand  under  the  table.  This  Medium's 
fingers  are  unusually  long  and  strong,  and  the  accordion,  being 
quite  small  and  with  only  four  bellows  folds,  can  be  readily 
manipulated  with  but  one  hand,  and  when  under  the  table  is 
held  by  the  keys. 


13 

Two  compasses,  which  we  placed  on  the  table  during  one 
seance,  remained  unaffected  by  Dr.  Slade's  presence. 

At  our  last  seance  with  him  we  noticed  two  slates  which 
were  not  with  the  other  slates  on  the  small  table  behind  him, 
but  were  on  the  floor  resting  against  the  leg  of  that  table,  and 
within  easy  reach  of  his  hand  as  he  sat  at  the  larger  table. 
As  we  had  previously  seen  prepared  slates  similarly  placed 
we  kept  a  sharp  watch  on  these  slates.  Unfortunately,  it 
was  too  sharp.  Dr.  Slade  caught  the  look  that  was  directed 
at  them.  That  detected  glance  was  sufficient  to  prevent  the 
Spirits  from  sending  us  the  messages  which  they  had  so  care- 
fully prepared.  The  slates  were  not  produced  during  the 
seance,  but  when  it  was  over  one  of  our  number  managed  to 
strike  them  with  his  foot  so  as  to  displace  them  and  reveal 
the  writing.  None  of  us  present  that  day  will  be  likely  to 
forget  the  hurried  way  in  which  these  slates  were  seized  by  the 
Medium  and  washed. 

We  think  it  worthy  to  be  recorded  that,  in  reply  to  a  ques- 
tion, Dr.  Slade  said  that  Professor  Zoellner  watched  him  closely 
only  during  the  first  three  or  four  sittings,  but  that  afterwards 
Professor  Zoellner  let  him  do  just  as  he  pleased,  fully  and  unre- 
servedly submitting  to  all  the  conditions  demanded  by  the 
Spirits. 

We  received  from  Dr.  Slade  a  written  expression  of  his 
satisfaction  with  our  treatment  of  him,  which  had  been 
throughout,  so  he  said,  entirely  fair  and  courteous,  and  of  his 
willingness  at  any  time  hereafter  to  sit  with  us  again,  should 
we  desire  it  and  his  engagements  permit. 

It  is  a  source  of  regret  that,  in  our  investigations,  we  have 
received  no  aid  from  unprofessional  Mediums;  and  in  dealing 
with  professional  Mediums  we  have  been  continually  dis- 
tracted by  the  conflicting  estimates  in  which  these  Mediums 


14 

are  held  among  the  Spiritualists  themselves.  There  are  very, 
very  few  professional  Mediums,  as  far  as  our  experience 
goes,  who  are  accepted  by  all  Spiritualists  as  free  from  the 
reproach  of  fraud.  Indeed  one  Medium  with  whom,  by  the 
advice  of  Mr.  Hazard,  we  had  a  seance,  and  for  whom  Mr. 
Hazard  vouched  as  one  of  the  best  of  his  class,  we  have  seen 
denounced  as  a 'liar  and  a  thief.'  In  the  earnestness  of  our 
zeal  we  advertised  in  the  local  secular  press,  and  in 
the  leading  Spiritualist  Journals  both  East  and  West,  for 
Independent  Slate  Writing  Mediums,  and  to  this  wide- 
spread appeal  there  came  but  three  replies,  and  of  these,  two 
were  so  remote  that  the  promise  of  performance  held  out  by 
the  respondents  did  not,  in  our  opinion,  justify  so  large  an 
outlay  of  money  for  traveling  expenses  as  a  journey  across  the 
Continent  involved.  This  noteworthy  reluctance  on  the  part 
of  Mediums  to  come  before  us  cannot  be  due  to  any  harsh  or 
antagonistic  treatment  received  at  our  hands  by  any  Medium. 
All  Mediums  have  been  treated  by  us  with  uniform  courtesy, 
and  with  every  endeavor  to  acquiesce  in  the  'conditions '  imposed 
or  suggested  by  the  Spirits.  And  yet  a  well-known  Medium  in 
New  York,  Mrs.  Thayer,  to  whom  the  Acting  Chairman  was 
unknown,  and  with  whom  he  was  at  the  time  having  a  seance, 
vehemently  asserted  that  no  member  of  the  'Seybert  Commis- 
sion '  should  ever  have  a  seance  with  her,  that  the  whole  Com- 
mission, one  and  all,  were  'old  scoundrels  and  should  never 
darken  her  doors,'  etc.,  etc.,  and  confessed  that  the  foundation 
of  her  belief  was  the  warning  (sent  to  her  by  an  eminent  Me- 
dium whose  seances  the  Commission  had  attended)  that  she 
should  have  nothing  to  do  with  '  the  Seybert  men,  that  they 
would  do  her  no  good.'  Even  in  instances  where  Mediums 
have  expressed  their  willingness  to  appear  before  us,  we  have 
been  embarrassed  by  demands  for  compensation  which  we 
could  not  but  deem  extortionate  and,  practically,  prohibitory ; 


15 

as  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Keeler,  the  Spiritual  Photographer,  whose 
terms  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix,  and  in  that  of  Dr.  Henry 
Rogers,  whose  terms  were  five  hundred  dollars  if  he  should  be 
successful  before  us,  and  the  half  of  that  sum  if  he  failed. 

Although  the  number  of  Mediums  whose  manifestations  we 
have  been  able  to  examine  has  been  thus  restricted,  we  feel 
ourselves  justified  in  giving  as  a  result  of  our  examination  of 
Independent  Slate  Writing  that,  whether  the  agency  be  Spirit- 
ual or  Material,  its  mode  of  manifestation  almost  wholly  pre- 
cludes any  satisfactory  investigation. 

There  are  not  wanting  eminent  expounders  of  the  Spiritual- 
istic Faith  who  assert  that  this  is  as  it  should  be,  and  that  if  in 
the  attempt  to  apply  the  laws  of  the  material  world  to  Spiritual 
manifestations  we  are  baffled,  the  fault  lies  in  us,  and  not  in 
the  Mediums.  If  this  be  so,  we  must  accept  our  fate  and  enlarge 
the  adage  that  'poets  are  born,  not  made/  and  include 
Spiritualists. 

Yet,  as  a  rule,  Mediums  assert  that  they  invite  investi- 
gation. Our  experience  has  been,  as  we  have  just  said,  that  as 
soon  as  an  investigation,  worthy  of  the  name,  begins,  all  mani- 
festations of  Spiritualist  power  cease. 

The  bare  statement  of  the  conditions  whereunder  the  Me- 
diums maintain  that  the  manifestations  of  Independent  Slate 
Writing  are  alone  possible,  involves  the  extreme  difficulty,  we 
might  almost  say  the  impossibility,  of  any  genuine  or  rational 
investigation.  Even  the  very  spirit  of  investigation,  or  of  incre- 
dulity, seems  to  exercise  a  chilling  effect  and  prevents  a  success- 
ful manifestation.  Indeed  Mr.  Hazard  once  told  us  that  the 
true  spirit  in  which  to  approach  the  study  of  Spiritualism  is 
'an  entire  willingness  to  be  deceived.'  In  Independent  Slate 
Writing,  in  our  experience,  there  is  a  period,  of  longer  or  shorter 
duration,  when  the  slate  is  concealed.  During  this  period  the 
investigator's  eye  must  not  watch  it.     When  the  slate  is  held 


16 

under  the  table,  knees  and  feet  and  clothing  exert  no  deleterious 
effect,  but  the  gaze  of  a  human  eye  is  fatal  to  all  Spiritual 
manifestation;  although  to  one  of  our  number,  on  three  occa- 
sions, a  pocket  mirror,  carefully  adjusted,  unknown  to  the  Me- 
dium, gave  back  the  reflection  of  fingers,  which  were  clearly 
not  Spiritual,  opening  the  slates  and  writing  the  answer. 

There  is  really  no  step  in  the  bare  process  of  producing  this 
writing,  as  we  have  observed  it,  which  might  not  be  accomplished 
by  trickery  or  by  legerdemain.  Of  course,  therefore,  we  were 
sincerely  anxious  to  disprove  in  these  experiments  the  presence 
of  those  discreditable  elements,  not  only  for  the  credit  of  human 
nature,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  great  scientific  interest  involved. 
We  are  perfectly  ready  to  accept  any  fact  of  Spiritual  power; 
and  so  far  from  flinching  from  an  open  avowal  of  our  belief  in 
this  revelation  of  a  novel  force  in  Nature,  we  would  welcome  it. 
But  no  one,  not  a  Spiritualist,  we  should  suppose,  can  demand 
of  us  that  we  should  accept  profound  mysteries  with  our  eyes 
tight  shut,  and  our  hands  fast  closed,  and  with  every  avenue  to 
our  reasoning  faculties  insurmountably  barred.  Yet  this  is  pre- 
cisely what  is  demanded  of  us  by  Mediums  in  regard  to  Inde- 
pendent Slate  Writing.  We  must  sign  a  dispensation  to  forego 
the  exercise  of  common  sense,  and  accept  as  'fact'  what  they 
choose  so  to  term.  Few  assertions  by  departed  Spirits  are 
more  hacknied  than,  'This  is  a  great  truth/  and  yet  in  an 
honest  endeavor  to  prove  that  it  is  a  'great  truth;'  and  not  a 
great  lie,  the  sincere  and  earnest  seeker  is  at  every  turn  baffled 
and  thwarted. 

To  eliminate  from  our  investigations  every  element  of  distrust, 
or  hostility,  or  suspicion,  or  chilling  antagonism,  we  entrusted  to 
Mr.  Hazard's  friend,  Mrs.  Patterson,  vouched  for  by  him  as  one 
of  the  very  best  Mediums  in  the  country,  two  carefully  closed 
and  sealed  slates,  enclosing,  of  course,  the  required  piece  of  slate- 
pencil,  with  the  earnest  entreaty  that  the  Spirits  should  write 


17 

therein  even  if  it  were  but  the  merest  mark,  sign,  or  scratch, 
therewith  we  would  be  content,  and  be  ready  to  accept  Inde- 
pendent Slate  Writing  with  its  train  of  consequences.  The 
Medium  was  fully  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  trial, 
and  with  the  fame  which  would  thereby  accrue  from  such  a 
wholesale  conversion  as  that  of  the  united  Seybert  Commission. 

Every  Medium,  it  would  appear,  is  under  the  special  tutelage 
of  a  departed  Spirit;  this  Spirit  is  termed  the  'Medium's 
control.'  In  the  present  case,  when  the  slates  were  delivered  to 
Mrs.  Patterson,  her  'control/  one  'Thomas  Lister/  at  once 
promised  that  Spirit  hands  should  shortly  write  within  the 
sealed-up  space.  But  no  writing  came  that  day  nor  the  next, 
nor  the  next,  although  the  Medium  protested  that  every  atten- 
tion should  be  bestowed  on  the  refractory  slates.  In  vain  was 
the  Medium  again  and  again  adjured  to  put  forth  every  power. 
At  the  end  of  six  months  the  slates  were  received  again,  with- 
out any  writing,  according  to  the  confession  of  the  Medium. 

So  anxious,  however,  was  our  Acting  Chairman  that  the  ex- 
periment should  prove  successful,  that,  undeterred  by  this  fail- 
ure, he  carefully  sealed  up  a  second  slate,  and  placed  it  in  the 
hands  of  the  same  Medium,  with  renewed  adjurations  to  put 
forth  all  her  Spiritualistic  strength.  At  the  end  of  a  fortnight  or 
more,  after  redoubled  exertions  of  Mediumistic  power,  to  which 
was  added  the  combined  Spiritualistic  power  of  the  Medium's 
entire  family  circle,  the  exciting  announcement  was  made  to 
us  that  the  fragment  of  slate  pencil  within  the  slates  could  no 
longer  be  heard  to  rattle,  and  that  presumably  the  Spirits  had 
written  a  message  for  us. 

Each  Medium,  generally,  has  some  peculiar  mode  of  mani- 
festing Spiritualistic  power;  it  is  a  peculiarity  of  this  Medium, 
as  has  been  before  stated,  that  the  completion  of  the  Spirit 
message  within  the  slates  is  indicated  not  by  raps,  as  is 
frequently  the  case  with  other  Mediums,  but  by  the  sudden 


18 

and  marvelous  appearance  on  the  top  of  the  slate  of  the  little 
fragment  of  pencil,  which  had  been  securely  fastened  up 
within.  The  fact,  therefore,  that  the  pencil  was  no  longer 
inside  of  our  slates  was  presumptive  evidence  that  the 
Medium's  control  had  been  true  to  his  word,  and  had 
written  us  a  message.  The  slates  were  received  from  the 
Medium  most  carefully,  and  a  meeting  of  the  Commission 
hastily  called.  It  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  enter  here  at 
length  on  the  details  of  that  session,  of  the  careful  scru- 
tiny to  which  the  slates  were  subjected,  of  the  unmutilated 
seals,  of  the  untouched  screws,  etc.,  etc. ;  but  it  is  worth  while 
to  record  the  feeling  of  grave  responsibility,  almost  akin  to 
solemnity,  with  which  we  all  approached  what,  for  aught  we 
knew,  might  prove  to  be  a  revelation  of  a  power  as  wonderful 
as  any  with  which,  as  yet,  we  had  ever  been  brought  into  ac- 
quaintance. Just  before  we  opened  the  slates  it  was  noticed  that 
at  one  corner,  owing  to  the  flexibility  of  the  wooden  frames,  it 
was  quite  possible  to  stretch  the  slates  far  enough  apart  to  per- 
mit the  insertion  of  the  blade  of  a  knife,  and  an  examination 
of  the  edges  at  this  point  revealed  only  too  plainly  discolored 
abrasions.  When  the  slates  were  finally  opened,  not  a  stroke 
of  writing  nor  a  scratch  was  to  be  found,  but  at  the  suspected 
corner  were  the  discolored  marks,  visible  to  this  day,  of  the  knife 
which  had  been  inserted  to  extract  the  pencil,  which,  in  its 
enforced  outward  passage,  had  left  behind,  in  its  scratches  on 
the  wood,  a  tell-tale  trail  of  dust  which  the  microscope  revealed 
to  be  of  the  same  substance  as  the  pencil.  The  Spirits  had 
not  taken  even  the  precaution  to  wipe  the  broad  knife  clean 
from  rust  or  dirt.  The  slates  are  preserved  in  our  sad 
museum  of  specimens  of  misdirected  ingenuity. 

We  are  continually  confronted  with  statements  wherein  the 
narrator  claims  a  Spiritual  solution  as  the  only  possible  one 


19 

of  the  enigma  involved  in  the  phenomena,  as  he  observed 
them. 

To  all  such  statements  we  have,  first,  the  plain  and  ready 
answer,  that  we  do  not  attempt  to  pass  judgment  on  manifesta- 
tions which  we  ourselves  have  not  observed.  All  that  we  can 
vouch  for  is  the  result  of  our  own  observation.  More  cannot 
be  demanded  of  us. 

Secondly,  experience  has  shown  us  that  with  every  possible 
desire  on  the  part  of  Spiritualists  to  tell  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  concerning  marvelous 
phenomena,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  do  so.  Be  it  distinctly 
understood  that  we  do  not  for  an  instant  impute  wilful  perver- 
sion of  the  truth.  All  that  we  mean  is  that,  for  two  reasons, 
it  is  likely  that  the  marvels  of  Spiritualism  will  be,  by  believers 
in  them,  incorrectly  and  insufficiently  reported. 

The  first  reason  is  to  be  found  in  the  mental  condition  of 
the  observer ;  if  he  be  excited  or  deeply  moved  his  account 
cannot  but  be  affected,  and  essential  details  will  surely  be  dis- 
torted. 

For  a  second  reason,  note  how  hard  it  is  to  give  a  truth- 
ful account  of  any  common,  everyday  occurrence.  The  diffi- 
culty is  increased  a  hundred-fold,  when  what  we  would  tell, 
partakes  of  the  wonderful.  Who  can  truthfully  describe  a 
juggler's  trick  ?  Who  would  hesitate  to  affirm  that  a  watch, 
which  never  left  the  eye-sight  for  an  instant,  was  broken  by 
the  juggler  on  an  anvil ;  or  that  a  handkerchief  was  burned 
before  our  eyes?  We  all  know  the  juggler  does  not  break 
the  watch,  and  does  not  burn  the  handkerchief.  We 
watched  most  closely  the  juggler's  right  hand,  while  the  trick 
was  done  with  his  left.  The  one  minute  circumstance  has 
been  omitted  that  would  have  converted  the  trick  into  no- 
trick.  It  is  likely  to  be  the  same  in  the  accounts  of  most 
of  the  wonderful  phenomena  of  Spiritualism. 


20 

For  these  two  reasons,  we  laid  down  for  ourselves  at  the 
start  that  in  cases  demanding  close  observation  we  would 
endeavor  to  have  as  many  members  as  possible  of  the  Com- 
mission present  at  every  seance.  In  dealing  with  phenomena, 
where  all  ordinary  methods  of  investigation  are  excluded,  we 
perceived  clearly  that  our  best  resource  lay  in  having  the 
largest  possible  number  of  observers. 

In  dismissing  this  subject  of  Independent  Slate  Writing, 
we  repeat,  what  we  think  Spiritualists  will  generally  grant, 
that  this  phenomenon  can  be  performed  by  legerdemain. 
The  burden  of  proof  that  it  is  not  so  performed  rests  with 
the  Mediums.  This  proof  the  Mediums  will  neither  offer 
themselves,  nor  permit  others  to  obtain.  Investigators, 
therefore,  are  forced  to  bring  to  bear  their  own  powers  of 
close  observation,  sharpened  and  educated  by  experience. 
Be  it  remembered  that  what  we  have  here  stated  applies 
solely  to  the  process  whereby  the  communication  is  written 
on  the  slate;  with  the  substance  of  the  communication, 
whether  pertinent  answers  to  questions  or  dreary  platitudes, 
we  are  not  now  dealing.  Whether  these  answers  be  ascribed 
to  Spirits,  or  to  what  is  termed  clairvoyance,  they  would  be 
none  the  less  true  or  false  if  delivered  orally  by  the  Medium  ; 
all  that  we  are  sure  of  is  that  the  writing  down  of  these  com- 
munications, be  their  substance  what  it  may,  is  performed  in  a 
manner  so  closely  resembling  fraud  as  to  be  indistinguishable 
from  it.  It  would  be  a  mere  matter  of  opinion  that  all  Inde- 
pendent Slate  Writing  is  fraudulent;  what  is  not  a  matter  of 
opinion  is  the  conviction,  which  we  have  unanimously  reached 
as  a  Commission,  of  its  non-spiritual  character  in  every  instance 
that  has  come  before  us. 

An  eminent  professional  juggler  performed,  in  the  presence 
of  three  of  our  Commission,  some  Independent  Slate  Writing 
far  more  remarkable  than  any  which   we  have  witnessed 


21 

with  Mediums.  In  broad  daylight,  a  slate  perfectly  clean  on 
both  sides  was,  with  a  small  fragment  of  slate  pencil,  held  under 
a  leaf  of  a  small  ordinary  table  around  which  we  were 
seated;  the  fingers  of  the  juggler's  right  hand  pressed  the 
slate  tight  against  the  underside  of  the  leaf,  while  the  thumb 
completed  the  pressure,  and  remained  in  full  view  while  clasp- 
ing the  leaf  of  the  table.  Our  eyes  never  for  a  fraction  of  a 
second  lost  sight  of  that  thumb;  it  never  moved;  and  yet 
in  a  few  minutes  the  slate  was  produced,  covered  on  both 
sides  with  writing.  Messages  were  there,  and  still  are 
there,  for  we  preserved  the  slate,  written  in  French,  Spanish, 
Dutch,  Chinese,  Japanese,  Gujerati,  and  ending  with  '  Ich 
bin  ein  Geist,  und  liebe  mein  Lagerbier.'  We  were  utterly 
baffled.  For  one  of  our  number  the  juggler  subsequently 
repeated  the  trick  and  revealed  its  every  detail. 

We  request  your  honorable  body  to  note  that  this  Report  is 
preliminary  and  that  we  do  not  consider  our  investigations  in 
this  department  as  finally  closed,  but  hold  ourselves  ready  to 
continue  them  whenever  favorable  circumstances  arise. 

To  the  subject  of  ( Spirit-rappings '  we  have  devoted  some 
time  and  attention,  but  our  investigations  have  not  been 
sufficiently  extensive  to  warrant  us  at  present  in  offering  any 
positive  conclusions.  The  difficulty  attending  the  investi- 
gation of  this  mode  of  Spiritualistic  manifestation  is  increased 
by  the  fact,  familiar  to  physiologists,  that  sounds  of  varying  in- 
tensity may  be  produced  in  almost  any  portion  of  the  human 
body  by  voluntary  muscular  action.  To  determine  the  exact 
location  of  this  muscular  activity  is  at  times  a  matter  of 
delicacy. 

What  we  can  say,  thus  far,  with  assurance  is  that,  in 
the    cases  which    have    come    under  our  observation,    the 


22 

theory  of  the  purely  physiological  origin  of  the  sounds  has 
been  sustained  by  the  fact  that  the  Mediums  were  invariably, 
and  confessedly,  cognizant  of  the  rappings  whenever  they  oc- 
curred, and  could  at  once  detect  any  spurious  rappings,  how- 
ever exact  and  indistinguishable  to  all  other  ears  might  be 
the  imitation.  For  the  details  of  the  investigation  which 
guided  us  to  this  conclusion  we  refer  to  the  Appendix. 

There  are  among  Mediums  certain  Specialists,  whose  alleged 
Spiritual  manifestations  we  have  endeavoured  to  investigate, 
not  always  successfully,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  case  of  Mr.  W.  M. 
Keeler,  through  whose  Mediumship  ' Spiritual  Photographs' 
are  produced.  The '  conditions '  which  this  Medium  demanded 
would  have  made  any  attempt  at  investigation  a  mere  waste 
of  time,  and  his  terms  of  remuneration  were,  in  addition,  as  we 
have  before  mentioned,  prohibitory  and  suggestive  of  unwil- 
lingness to  come  before  the  Commission.  In  these  days  of '  Com- 
posite Photography '  it  is  worse  than  childish  to  claim  a  Spir- 
itual source  for  results  which  can  be  obtained  at  any  time  by 
any  tyro  in  the  art.  Mr.  Keeler's  letter  will  be  found  in  the 
Appendix. 

We  were  more  successful  in  procuring  a  seance  with  Mr. 
Keeler's  brother,  whose  Mediumship  manifests  itself  by  the 
materialization  of  a  right  hand  behind  a  low  screen,  in 
front  of  which  the  Medium  sits,  with  his  face  alone  visible,  his 
entire  person  being  concealed  by  black  muslin.  The  screen 
is  stretched  across  a  corner  of  a  room  to  about  the  height  of 
the  back  of  the  Medium's  head,  as  he  sits  in  front  of  it.  The 
lights  are  lowered,  and  in  a  few  minutes  various  instruments, 
musical  and  otherwise,  which  had  been  previously  placed  on 
a  small  table  in  the  corner  enclosed  by  the  screen,  are  heard 
to  sound,  a  drum  is  beaten,  a  guitar  is  played,  etc.    The  music 


23 

is  interspersed  with  flashes  of  hand  darting  and  waving  above 
the  screen  to  the  right  of  the  Medium.  The  hand,  when 
shaken,  was  found  to  be  a  right  one.  As  a  proof  that 
the  hand  is  Spiritual  and  not  that  of  the  Medium,  the  latter 
requests  one  of  the  visitors  at  the  seance  to  sit  beside 
him  on  his  right,  and  also  to  be  covered  to  the  chin  with  the 
same  black  muslin  under  which  all  the  Medium,  except  his 
head,  is  concealed.  This  visitor's  bare  left  forearm  is  grasped 
by  the  Medium,  as  he  says,  with  both  his  hands,  and  this 
pressure  of  the  Medium's  two  hands  on  the  visitor's  arm  is 
never  relaxed,  as  the  visitor  readily  testifies.  The  proof  seems, 
therefore,  conclusive  that  the  hand  which  plays  the  instru- 
ments behind  the  screen  is  not  the  Medium's,  and  hence  must 
be  a  materialized  Spirit.  The  trick  is  simple  and  highly  decep- 
tive, as  any  one  can  prove  for  himself  by  requesting  a  blind- 
folded friend  to  bare  the  left  arm  to  the  elbow,  then  let  the 
experimenter  grasp  this  bared  arm,  near  the  wrist,  with  the 
third  and  fourth  fingers  of  his  left  hand,  closing  them  around 
it  tightly,  and  as  he  does  so,  asking  the  owner  of  the  arm 
to  note  that  this  is  his  left  hand,  then  let  the  experi- 
menter, without  relaxing  this  hold,  stretch  the  remaining 
fingers  and  thumb  up  the  arm  as  far  as  he  can,  and  while 
clasping  it  with  his  thumb  and  forefinger,  remark  that  this 
second  pressure  comes  from  his  other  hand.  The  conviction 
is  complete  in  the  mind  of  the  blindfolded  friend  that  he  feels 
the  grasp  of  two  hands,  whereas  only  the  left  hand  of  the 
experimenter  has  grasped  his  arm,  and  the  right  hand  is  free 
to  beat  a  drum  or  play  a  zither.  After  this  test,  which  is 
patent  to  all,  we  can  dismiss  the  theory  of  a  Spiritual  origin 
of  the  hand  behind  Mr.  Keeler's  screen.  To  forestall  the 
discovery  by  Mr.  Keeler's  companion  of  this  trick,  and  to  pre- 
vent its  detection  by  simply  feeling  with  his  free  right  hand 
after  the  suppositious  hands  of  the  Medium,  which  are  grasping 


24 

his  left  forearm,  a  second  visitor  is  requested  to  share  the  dis- 
comfort of  the  muslin  envelope,  and  to  sit  on  the  right  of  the 
first  visitor  and  to  hold  the  latter's  truant  right  hand  with  his 
left  hand,  while  his  right  is  exposed  to  view  outside  the  cur- 
tain. Again  we  refer  to  the  Appendix  for  the  minutes  of 
our  meeting. 

We  had  a  seance  also  with  Messrs.  Rothermel  and  Powell,  of 
whom  the  former  is  the  Medium,  the  latter,  acting  mainly  as  a 
reservoir  of  psychic  force,  guides  and  directs  the  seance.  In 
this  case  the  Medium's  Spiritual  manifestations,  as  well  as  his 
material  arrangements,  are  similar  to  those  of  Mr.  Keeler, 
except  that  instead  of  having  a  visitor  whose  arm  may  be 
grasped,  Mr.  Rothermel's  hands  are  fastened  in  his  lap  by 
bands  of  tape  passed  around  his  legs  and  sewed  to  his  clothes. 
After  the  black  curtain  had  hid  the  hands  from  our  sight  we 
were  not  again  allowed  to  examine  them  except  in  the  most 
hurried  and  superficial  way,  but,  even  in  the  brief  inspection 
which  was  permitted,  a  glance  was  sufficient  to  show  that  the 
tape  had  been  tampered  with.  The  close  of  the  seance  was 
announced  by  the  sound  of  clipping  scissors,  and  by  Mr.  Roth- 
ermel's exclamation,  while  still  concealed,  that  the  Spirits  were 
cutting  him  loose.  We  had  no  means  of  knowing  whether  the 
tape  was  cut  at  the  beginning  of  the  seance  or  not.  When  the 
muslin  envelope  was  removed,  Mr.  Rothermel's  hands  were 
certainly  free.  The  bands  were  cut,  and  we  had  no  difficulty 
in  believing  that  the  hands  which  were  dexterous  enough  to 
play  the  zither  with  very  remarkable  skill,  under  such  condi- 
tions, behind  the  curtain,  were  deft  enough  to  sever  the  cords. 

Our  seances  with  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord  were  acknowledged  by 
the  Medium  herself  to  be  altogether  unsatisfactory.  This  is 
much  to  oe  regretted.    Mrs.  Lord  is  one  of  the  few  professional 


25 

Mediums  whose  excellence  is  acknowledged  by  all  Spiritualists 
alike,  and  who,  in  her  attitude  towards  the  Commission,  dis- 
played every  desire  to  aid  a  full  and  complete  investigation  into 
the  manifestations  peculiar  to  her  Mediumship,  and  further- 
more, without  remuneration. 

In  conclusion,  we  beg  to  express  our  regret  that  thus  far  we 
have  not  been  cheered  in  our  investigations  by  the  discovery  of 
a  single  novel  fact;  but,  undeterred  by  this  discouragement,  we 
trust  with  your  permission  to  continue  them  with  what  thor- 
oughness our  future  opportunities  may  allow,  and  with  minds 
as  sincerely  and  honestly  open,  as  heretofore,  to  conviction. 

We  desire  to  call  especial  attention  to  Professor  Fullerton's 
Report  in  the  Appendix  of  his  interviews  with  Professors  Fech- 
ner,  Scheibner  and  Weber,  the  surviving  colleagues  of  Profes- 
sor Zoellner  in  his  experiments  with  Dr.  Henry  Slade. 

And  also  to  an  investigation  of  the  power  of  Mediums  to 
answer  the  questions  contained  in  'Sealed  Envelopes.' 

William  Pepper, 
Joseph  Leidy, 
George  A.  Koenig, 
George  S.  Fullerton, 
Robt.  Ellis  Thompson, 
Horace  Howard  Furness, 
Coleman  Sellers, 
James  W.  White, 
Calvin  B.  Knerr, 
S.  Weir  Mitchell. 

University  of  Pennsylvania, 
May,  1887. 


APPENDIX. 


Soon  after  the  appointment  of  the  Seybert  Commission,  I,  as 
Secretary,  was  asked  to  make  a  collection  of  the  best  representative 
literature  of  Spiritualism,  and  to  prepare  for  the  use  of  the  Commission 
a  sketch  of  the  rise,  progress,  present  condition,  doctrines  and  alleged 
phenomena  of  this  belief,  as  well  as  an  account  of  previous  investi- 
gations, similar  to  the  one  contemplated  by  ourselves.  For  a  number 
of  months  I  busied  myself  diligently  with  this  work,  and  finally  read 
my  sketch  before  the  Commission,  at  a  meeting  at  which  Mr.  Thomas  R. 
Hazard,  the  well-known  Spiritualist,  was  present  as  our  guest.  I  had 
at  this  time  seen  scarcely  anything  of  Spiritualism,  but  was  much  im- 
pressed with  what  I  had  read,  and  certainly  in  a  fully  receptive  atti- 
tude towards  phenomena  supported  by  so  much  apparently  strong 
testimony.  Mr.  Hazard  declared  himself  quite  satisfied  with  the  tone 
of  the  paper,  saying  that  he  had  come  expecting  to  hear  something 
very  different,  but  that  it  was  fair  and  unbiased.  I  mention  these 
facts  to  show  that  my  present  opinion  on  the  subject  was  not  assumed 
at  the  outset,  but  has  been  arrived  at  gradually,  and  is  based  upon  my 
own  observations. 

I  have  been  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  Spiritualism,  as  far  at 
least  as  it  has  shown  itself  before  me  (and  I  give  no  opinion  upon  what 
has  not  fallen  within  my  observation),  presents  the  melancholy  spec- 
tacle of  gross  fraud,  perpetrated  upon  an  uncritical  portion  of  the 
community ;  that  the  testimony  of  such  persons  as  to  what  they  see 
is  almost  valueless,  if  they  are  habitually  as  inaccurate  as  they  have 
been  at  the  seances  at  which  I  have  been  present  with  them ;  and 
that  there  is  an  unwillingness  on  the  part  of  Mediums  to  have 
their  powers  freely  and  thoroughly  investigated — a  fact  which  makes 
any  investigation  of  Spiritualism  difficult  and  expensive.  My  opin- 
ions are  not  based  exclusively  upon  what  I  have  seen  and  recorded 
in  my  work  with  my  colleagues,  but  also  upon  observations  made  at 
various  times  in  a  private  capacity ;  and  there  is  but  one  conclusion  to 
be  appended  to  them  all.  I  subjoin  notes  of  seances,  recorded  by 
myself  as  Secretary  of  the  Commission.  Their  somewhat  disjointed 
form  arises  from  the  fact  that  I  have  not  thought  it  desirable  to  make 

(26) 


27 

changes  in  my  notes,  except  such  as  were  necessary  in  taking  the 
Records,  which  are  of  value  as  evidence,  out  of  their  contextual  con- 
nection with  records  of  business  meetings  and  matters  of  no  interest 
to  the  public.  Nothing  which  could  be  looked  upon  as  evidence  has 
been  purposely  suppressed.  I  have  intentionally  left  out  a  description 
of  several  things  which  we  have  been  unable  to  use,  and  which  would 
have  merely  swelled  our  Records ;  as,  for  example,  the  account  of  our 
sealing  slates  for  the  experiments  with  Dr.  Slade,  he  afterwards  having 
refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  slates  sealed  by  us.  My  notes 
were  made  during  the  seances,  or  as  soon  as  possible  after  them.  They 
were  arranged  and  copied  in  no  case  later  than  two  days  after.  Ex- 
planations and  additions,  which  do  not  belong  to  the  original  Records, 
but  have  been  inserted  later,  are  put  in  brackets. 

For  a  justification  of  the  opinion  of  Spiritualism  expressed  above,  I 

refer  to  the  Records  which  follow. 

Geo.  S.  Fulleeton. 


March  13th,  1884. 

On  Thursday,  March  13th,  1884,  the  Commission  met  at  508  S.  16th 
Street,  at  8  p.m.,  for  the  examination  of  Mrs.  S.  E.  Patterson,  Spiritual- 
istic Medium. 

For  the  first  test,  a  small  piece  of  slate  pencil  was  placed  within  a 
double  slate,  and  the  leaves  fastened  together  with  a  screw,  which  passed 
through  one  wooden  rim  into  the  other.  The  Spirit-writing  upon  the 
slate  should  be  indicated  by  the  pencil  appearing  upon  the  outside  of 
the  slate.  The  slate  was  laid  upon  the  Medium's  lap  for  one  hour  and 
a-half  without  results. 

Meanwhile  the  Medium  wrote  what  purported  to  be  messages  from 
several  Spirits  upon  slips  of  paper,  the  handwriting  varying  with  each 
message.  One  message  was  signed  Elias  Hicks,  another  Lucretia 
Mott,  another  signed  H.  S.  was  compared  with  a  message  from  Mr. 
Henry  Seybert  to  Mr.  T.  R.  Hazard  the  day  before.  The  initials  were 
somewhat  different. 

The  Commission  sat  in  a  circle,  the  Medium  at  a  small  table  with 
folding  leaves. 

One  communication,  signed  E.  H.,  declared  that  the  person  sitting 
opposite  Mr.  Hazard  (Mr.  Furness)  was  endowed  with  great  Medium- 
istic  powers. 

The  writing  failing  to  appear  on  the  slate  it  was  opened,  and  Dr. 
Leidy,  having  written  upon  a  slip  of  paper  a  question,  enclosed  it  in 
the  slate,  which  was  again  fastened. 


28 

After  half  an  hour's  waiting,  no  results  being  obtained,  the  Com- 
mission addressed  some  questions  to  the  Medium  and  then  adjourned. 

The  Medium  described  her  sensations  during  the  automatic  writing 
as  a  constriction  at  the  wrist. 

She  declared  that  she  had  no  knowledge  of  what  she  wrote,  was  not 
distracted  by  noises,  etc. 

(Mr.  Furness  and  Mr.  Fullerton,  however,  noticed  that  she,  when 
interrupted,  glanced  back  over  what  she  had  previously  written  before 
continuing.) 

She  could  not  go  into  the  trance  state.  Just  before  adjournment  the 
Medium  laid  her  hands  upon  the  table  and  tried  to  produce  "  raps," 
but  did  not  succeed. 

Has  been  a  Spiritualist  for  nine  or  ten  years,  but  has  always  been 
possessed  of  unusual  powers.     As  a  child  saw  visions,  etc. 

Declares  that  she  is  most  successful  as  a  Slate  Writer. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


Wednesday,  March  19th,  1884. 

The  Commision  met  at  508  S.  16th  Street,  at  8  p.m. 

Present:  Dr.  Leidy,  Professor  Koenig,  Mr.  Furness,  Mr.  Fullerton 
and  Mr.  Hazard.     The  Medium  was  Mrs.  S.  E.  Patterson. 

Mr.  Furness  brought  two  new  double  slates,  which  could  be  fastened 
by  a  screw. 

The  Medium  cut  a  small  piece  of  slate  pencil  and  enclosed  it  in  a 
double  slate  (one  of  those  brought  by  Mr.  Furness),  into  which  was 
also  put  a  paper  upon  which  Dr.  Leidy  had  written  a  question.  The 
slate  was  then  fastened  with  a  screw. 

Dr.  Koenig  also  wrote  a  question,  which  was  enclosed  in  the  other 
slate,  the  slate  being  screwed  up  by  Mr.  Furness. 

The  Medium  then  placed  both  slates  upon  her  lap,  and  partially 
under  the  table.  A  portion  of  the  time  the  upper  slate  was  between 
the  palms  of  her  hands,  the  back  of  the  lower  hand  resting  on  the  lower 
slate.  Then  one  hand  was  placed  upon  each  slate,  the  two  being  placed 
together. 

No  results  having  been  obtained  after  waiting  twenty  minutes,  one 
of  the  new  slates  was  laid  aside,  and  the  Medium's  old  slate,  with  a 
piece  of  pencil  in  it,  laid  upon  the  remaining  new  slate  in  the  Medium's 
lap. 

The  Medium  held  from  time  to  time  a  lead  pencil  in  one  hand,  but 
was  not  moved  to  write. 


29 

The  Medium  declared  that  when  writing  appears  upon  the  slate  in 
her  lap  she  feels  a  shock,  but  no  other  sensatiou. 

Two  Spirit  Photographs  were  exhibited  by  the  Medium.  In  one  the 
Spirit  was  her  own  mother.  The  Spirit  in  each  appeared  as  a  white 
apparition  behind  a  person  seated  in  the  foreground. 

The  slates  remained  in  the  lap  of  the  Medium  one  hour  and  twenty 
minutes.     No  manifestations  were  produced  during  the  evening. 

The  Commission  adjourned  to  a  room  at  the  Social  Art  Club  for 
conference. 

The  above  notes  of  the  evening's  session  were  read  by  the  Secretary 
and  approved. 

It  was  resolved  to  meet  again  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  March 

26th,  for  the  next  session. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


March  26th,  1884. 

The  Commission  met  on  Wednesday,  March  26th,  at  7.30  p.m.,  at 
1117  Callowhill  Street. 

Present:  Dr.  Leidy,  Mr.  Furness,  Mr.  Fullerton  and  Mr.  T.  R. 
Hazard.     The  Medium  was  Mr.  Fred.  Briggs. 

The  Medium  gave  the  following  answers  to  Dr.  Leidy's  questions: 

1.  Has  been  a  Medium  since  seven  years  of  age.     Now  22  years  old. 

2.  Before  seven  years  of  age  could  see  visions,  etc.,  but  did  not  com- 
municate with  Spirits. 

3.  Was  born  in  Boston.     Lived  there  when  not  on  journeys. 

4.  His  parents  had  no  such  powers. 

5.  His  grandfather  was  a  West  India  importer,  his  father  had  no 
business. 

6.  Educated  in  Middleboro  and  Bridgewater,  Mass. 

7.  His  family,  Baptists. 

8.  He  can  communicate  with  Spirits  best 

a.  At  night,  or  in  the  evening. 

b.  In  cold  or  snowy  weather. 

c.  In  dry  weather. 

d.  When  in  a  healthy  condition. 

9.  When  in  communication  with  Spirits  feels  nervous,  but  cannot 
describe  the  feeling. 

The  Medium  had  on  the  table  two  single  slates  which  could  be  laid 
upon  each  other.  The  table  was  about  three  and  a-half  feet  square, 
and  covered  with  a  cloth. 


30 

The  light  was  kept  rather  dim. 

(The  Medium  explained  later  in  the  evening  that  writing  is  best 
produced  in  the  dark,  because  dark  is  negative,  light  jjositive,  and 
negative  conditions  are  most  favorable  to  communication.) 

Mr.  Furness  had  brought  two  folding  slates,  which  could  be  fastened 
with  a  screw. 

Dr.  Leidy  and  Mr.  Furness  and  the  Medium  each  held  a  double 
slate  under  the  table. 

Mr.  Fullerton  asked  a  question  as  requested,  but  received  no  answer 
from  the  Spirits. 

Some  scratching  was  now  heard  under  the  table. 

The  Medium  took  the  slate  held  by  Mr.  Furness  (one  not  screwed 
or  fastened  by  hinges),  and  it  was  held  under  the  table  by  Mr.  Fur- 
ness, Mr.  Hazard  and  Mr.  Briggs. 

The  Medium  seemed  much  excited,  spoke  rapidly,  etc.,  and  was 
so  much  overcome  that  he  dropped  the  slate  (one  brought  by  Mr. 
Furness)  which  he  was  holding  under  the  table  with  his  left  hand,  and 
left  it  lying  on  the  floor  under  the  table. 

At  8  o'clock  Dr.  Koenig  came  in.  The  slate  held  by  the  Medium, 
Mr.  Furness  and  Mr.  Hazard,  was  held  in  Mr.  Hazard's  lap,  and  some 
taps  were  heard.  (Mr.  Furness  afterwards  produced  taps  precisely 
similar  by  rubbing  the  side  of  his  finger  slowly  along  the  side  of  the 
slate.) 

No  writing  having  been  obtained,  the  Medium  declared  that  he 
alone  would  hold  the  slate,  as  the  magnetism  of  Mr.  Furness  was  in- 
jurious. 

Again  we  were  invited  to  ask  questions.  Dr.  Leidy  asked:  'When 
and  where  did  you  die  ? '     No  answer. 

The  Medium  asked  Mr.  Furness  if  his  name  were  not  Furness.  (Mr. 
Hazard  had  seen  the  Medium  before,  and  informed  him  that  the  Com- 
mission was  coming.) 

Mr.  Furness  now  put  his  hand  under  the  table  on  the  hand  of  the 
Medium,  which  was  pressing  the  double  slate  (not  the  screwed  one)  up 
against  the  table. 

Mr.  Furness  declared  that  he  heard  a  certain  buzzing  noise.  The 
slate  being  taken  out,  there  was  found  written  on  the  inside  of  the 
under  slate  : 

I  will  help 

you  all 

R.  Dale  Owen 

and  something  that  looked  like  "  Henry  Furness  is  here." 


31 

The  slate  on  the  floor  being  examined,  there  was  found  on  the  out- 
side (it  was  a  screw-slate) 

I  am  here  with  you 

I  will  help  you 

R.  Dale  Owen. 

Some  other  illegible  marks  were  found  on  the  slate. 

Nothing  was  obtained  on  the  inside  of  either  screw-slate. 

The  handwriting  on  the  two  slates,  purporting  to  be  from  R.  Dale 
Owen,  was  much  alike. 

The  Medium  now  took  hold  of  Mr.  Hazard's  hand,  and  went  into 
trance,  personating  Esther  Hazard,  a  deceased  daughter  of  Mr.  Hazard. 
He  (the  Medium)  made  convulsive  motions,  trembled,  etc.,  and  while 
in  this  state  predicted  that  Mr.  Fullerton  would  receive  a  very  pleas- 
ing letter  on  Saturday  next — said  that  he  should  come  to  the  Medium 
for  advice.    [No  such  letter  was  received  on  that  date  by  Mr.  Fullerton.] 

He  also  declared  that  Dr.  Koenig  had  brought  with  him  a  Spirit 
named  August. 

He  declared  Ponto,  White-feather,  Red  Jacket  and  Thomas  Paine 
to  be  present. 

(The  Medium  called  "  White-feather  "  he,  Mr.  Hazard  objecting 
that  White-feather  was  a  woman.) 

The  light  was  then  turned  out,  and  all  hands  laid  upon  the  table. 
Mr.  Furness  laid  one  of  his  hands  upon  one  of  the  Medium's  and  upon 
one  of  Mr.  Hazard's.  (The  Medium  afterwards  asserted  that  Mr. 
Furness  had  held  both  his  hands.  But  Mr.  Furness  wras  positive  that 
lie  held  only  one.)  Mr.  Hazard  was  touched  several  times  about  the 
face.  Mr.  Furness  was  touched  on  the  cheek  and  on  his  ear-trumpet 
and  Mr.  Fullerton  was  struck  on  the  head  by  a  paper  thrown  from  the 
other  side  of  the  table,  and  touched  once  on  the  back  of  his  left  hand 
by  what  felt  like  human  fingers. 

There  were  no  more  manifestations. 

The  Committee  adjourned  to  Dr.  Leidy's  house  for  conference.    The 

above  notes  were  read  and  approved. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


April  8th,  1884. 
On  Tuesday  evening,  April  8th,  Dr.  Leidy  and  Mr.  Furness  held 
another  seance  with    the   Medium   formerly    examined,   Mrs.   Pat- 


32 

terson.  The  slates  used  belonged  to  the  Medium,  and  were,  as  she  told 
them,  in  daily,  almost  hourly  use ;  the  frame  of  one  of  them  was  far 
from  sound,  and  the  hole  which  admitted  the  screw  was  more  than  well 
worn.  Within  these  slates,  after  being  held  for  a  long  while  by  both 
hands  of  the  Medium  under  the  table,  two  or  three  barely  legible  words 
appeared.  The  screw  was,  by  no  means,  as  tight  after  the  writing  as 
before.  This  fact,  together  with  the  prolonged  concealment,  rendered 
it  impossible  to  attach  any  real  importance  to  the  attempt  to  write,  as 
far  as  could  be  made  out,  the  name  of  Henry  Seybert. 

Under  the  same  conditions  our  colleague,  Mr.  Sellers,  produced  writ- 
ing for  us  very  satisfactorily. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


April  17th,  1884. 

On  Thursday  evening,  April  17th,  1884,  a  sitting  was  held  by  Mrs. 
Patterson  with  Dr.  Koenig,  Mr.  Fullerton  and  Mr.  Hazard.  The  Me- 
dium declared  herself  unwell.  No  results  were  obtained.  The  session 
was  in  Mrs.  Patterson's  room  at  No.  508  S.  16th  Street. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


May  31st,  1884. 

On  Saturday,  May  31st,  1884,  at  8  p.m.,  the  Commission  met  at  the 
house  of  the  Provost,  1811  Spruce  Street,  for  the  purpose  of  sealing  a 
slate  to  be  left  with  the  Medium,  Mrs.  Patterson,  who  was  to  try  to  pro- 
cure independent  writing  upon  the  inside  surfaces.  There  were  present 
Dr.  Pepper,  Mr.  Furness,  Professor  Thompson  and  Mr.  Fullerton. 
Mr.  Furness  brought  the  slate  and  seals.  The  slate  was  the  double  one 
used  in  our  former  tests,  hinged,  and  fastening  with  a  screw.  A  small 
piece  of  pencil  was  enclosed  in  the  slate,  which  was  perfectly  clean,  and 
the  slate  was  screwed  up  by  Dr.  Pepper.  The  direction  of  the  cut  in 
the  screw-head  was  marked  by  a  scratch  on  the  wood  at  the  end  of  the 
slate.  It  was  nearly  parallel  with  the  long  diameter  of  the  slate.  Mr. 
Furness  then  tied  the  slate  with  red  tape,  passing  the  tape  longitudi- 
nally and  transversely  around  the  middle  of  the  slates. 

The  first  seal  (red  wax)  was  on  the  knot,  which  was  over  the  under 
end  of  the  screw.  The  end  of  the  screw  projected  a  little  through  the 
wood,  but  was  covered  by  the  seal.  The  second  seal  was  over  the  ends 
of  the  tape.      The  head  of  the  screw  was  also  covered  by  a  seal,  and 


33 

three  (3)  additional  seals  were  affixed   on  the  outside  edges   of  the 
slates,  where  they  were  crossed  by  the  tape. 

One  of  the  three  impressions  at  the  edges  of  the  slates  was  made  by 
Professor  Thompson's  right  thumb.  [A  test  was  then  proposed  by 
Professor  Thompson,  which  the  Commission  does  not  feel  at  liberty  to 
make  public,  as  it  has  not  yet  been  carried  out,  and  publicity  may 
interfere  with  its  success.] 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


November  5th,  1884. 

The  Commission  met  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Furness,  222  West  Wash- 
ington Square,  on  November  5th,  1884,  at  8  p.m.  There  were  present 
Dr.  Wm.  Pepper  and  Mrs.  Pepper,  Dr.  Leidy,  Dr.  Koenig,  Prof. 
Thompson,  Mr.  Furness,  Mr.  George  S.  Pepper,  Miss  Logan,  Mr.  Ful- 
lerton, Mr.  Coleman  Sellers,  and  the  Medium,  Mrs.  Margaret  Fox 
Kane,  who  was  the  guest  of  Mr.  Furness  at  the  time. 

Those  present  seated  themselves  around  an  oak  dining  table,  some 
eight  feet  by  four  and  a-half  feet  and  the  usual  height.  Mrs.  Kane 
was  at  one  end  of  the  table  and  Mr.  Sellers  at  the  other.  The 
Medium  sat  with  her  feet  partly  under  the  table,  and  consequently 
concealed  from  most  of  those  present — her  feet  were  hidden  also  by 
her  dress. 

Dr.  Leidy  asked  the  question  :  "  Is  any  Spirit  present  ?" 

Ans.  Three  raps. 

Dr.  Leidy :  "  Will  you  confer  with  the  man  to  left  of  the  Medium  ?" 

Ans.  Two  raps.  (No.) 

Dr.  Leidy  :  "  To  the  right  ?" 

Ans.  Three  raps. 

Professor  Thompson  (who  was  the  person  indicated)  :  "  Is  the  Spirit 
male?" 

Ans.  Three  raps. 

"Will  it  answer  to  the  alphabet  ?" 

Three  raps.  The  alphabet  was  called  and  "  Henry  Seybert " 
spelled  out. 

Mr.  Sellers :  "  Will  Henry  Seybert  make  the  raps  at  this  end  of  the 
table?" 

Ans.     No. 

"  Is  he  satisfied  with  the  Commission  ?" 

Five  raps  were  given  for  the  alphabet ;  Professor  Thompson  called 
it ;  raps  spelled  out : 


34 

"  I  will  be  satisfied  before  the  investigation  is  through." 
Mr.  Sellers  :  "  Does  Mr.  Seybert  know  the  names  of  the  Commission?" 
Ans.  Three  raps. 

"  Does  he  know  who  is  now  speaking  ?" 
Three  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers  then  pointed  to  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  which  he  had 
written  in  order  on  a  sheet  of  paper,  and  raps  spelled  out : 

Charles  Ceri. 

Mrs.  Kane  then  tried  standing  at  some  distance  from  the  table,  with 
her  hands  on  the  back  of  a  chair  ;  there  were  some  raps  seemingly  near 
or  under  the  Medium. 

Raps  were  produced  as  members  of  the  Committee  stood  with  the 
Medium  around  the  desk  in  the  library,  and  close  to  a  book-case. 
Raps  were  produced  according  to  the  Medium  on  the  glass  door  of  a 
book-case,  upon  which  Mr.  Sellers  placed  his  hand.  Mr.  Sellers  felt  no 
vibration  on  the  glass,  but  raps  were  heard  somewhere  in  the  vicinity. 

The  Committee  then  returned  to  the  dining-room  and  the  Medium 
wrote  upon  a  sheet  of  paper  the  following : 

"  Friend  Pepper :  I  am  happy  to  meet  you  here  to-night.  I  have 
not  forgotten  my  promise  to  you,  Henry  Seybert." 

The  paper  had  to  be  held  to  the  light  and  read  from  the  obverse 
side,  as  the  message  was  written  from  right  to  left. 

Mr.  Geo.  Pepper  :  "  Do  you  remember  the  year  in  which  you  made 
the  promise  ?" 

The  answer  given  in  same  way  was  :  "  It  was  in  the  year  in  which 
my  Spirit  left  the  body.  H.  S.     Call  the  alphabet,  H.  S." 

Dr.  Pepper  called  the  alphabet — the  sentence  "  Let  Friend  Pepper 
call  the  alphabet"  was  rapped  out.  Mr.  Geo.  Pepper  called  the 
alphabet :  the  letters  hand  were  rapped  out,  and  the  communication 
ceased. 

The  Medium  wrote  then  as  before :  "  Friend  Pepper,  meet  me 
again." 

It  was  asked  whether  Mr.  Seybert  would  meet  us  on  the  next 
evening? 

Ans.  Three  raps. 

The  Committee  adjourned  at  9.30  o'clock  to  meet  again  at  8  o'clock 
on  the  next  evening  at  the  same  place. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton. 

Secretary. 


35 

The  following  stenographic  report  of  the  meeting  of  November  6th, 
1884,  has  been  read  and  approved  by  the  Commission  before  being 
entered  upon  this  book. 

The  few  additions  which  were  made  when  it  was  read,  appear  as 
foot  notes.     The  report  was  approved  as  excellent. 

(A  Kecord  from  the  notes  of  the  Stenographer — Mr.  J.  I.  Gilbert.) 

Philada.,  November  6th,  1884. 

The  Committee  reconvened  this  day,  at  8  o'clock  p.m.,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  H.  H.  Furness,  when  the  investigation  of  the  Spirit  Rap- 
pings,  in  the  presence  of  Mrs.  Margaret  Fox  Kane  as  Medium,  was 
resumed. 

The  persons  present  were  the  following : 

Of  the  Committee — Dr.  Leidy,  Mr.  Furness,  Dr.  Koenig,  Mr.  Fuller- 
ton,  Mr.  Coleman  Sellers,  and  by  invitation  of  the  Committee,  Mr.  Geo. 
S.  Pepper. 

The  Medium — Mrs.  Kane. 

The  Stenographer — Mr.  Gilbert. 

The  company  promptly  repaired  to  the  dining-room,  and  there 
gathered  around  a  common  pine-wood  table,  consisting  solely  of  its  sup- 
ports and  top,  which  had  been  specially  provided,  in  compliance  with 
the  direction  of  the  Medium.  The  dimensions  of  the  table,  approxi- 
mately stated,  are  as  follows:  height,  three  feet;  length,  four  feet; 
width,  two  and  a-half  feet. 

The  '  Spirit  Rappings '  during  the  evening,  aside  from  those  heard 
during  the  test  with  the  glass  tumblers,  were  apparently  confined  to  the 
floor-space  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of,  and  directly  beneath  the  table 
described — around  which  the  company  were  seated  in  the  order  here 
stated.  Mr.  Sellers  (to  whom  had  been  deputed  the  duty  of  eliciting 
the  responses)  occupied  the  chair  at  the  end  of  the  table  more  remote 
from  the  Stenographer.  Next,  upon  Mr.  Sellers'  right  and  at  the 
side  of  the  table,  sat  Mr.  Pepper,  and  Mr.  Furness  in  the  adjoining 
seat.  The  first  chair  on  the  side  of  the  table  to  the  left  of  Mr.  Sellers 
was  occupied  by  the  Medium,  and  the  remaining  chair  on  the  same 
side  by  Mr.  Fullerton.  At  the  near  end  of  the  table,  Dr.  Leidy  and 
Dr.  Koenig  were  seated.  The  Committee,  with  one  exception,  in  ac- 
cordance with  a  requirement  imposed  by  the  Medium,  rested  their 
hands  upon  the  table  and  fixed  their  minds  upon  the  subject  of  the 
rappings.  The  exception  was  Dr.  Koenig,  who,  being  seated  at  a  dis- 
tance of  three  feet  from  the  table,  could  not  conveniently  comply  with 


36 

the  requirement.  After  the  expiration  of  some  twenty  minutes,  the 
Medium  requested  Dr.  Koenig  to  place  his  hands  upon  the  table,  and 
he  promptly  complied  with  the  request  and  moved  his  chair  closer  to 
that  of  Dr.  Leidy,  thus  depriving  himself  of  any  facilities  of  observa- 
tion of  the  space  beneath  the  table. 

The  Stenographer  was  at  a  table  about  four  feet  from  the  circle  of 
the  Committee. 

The  lengths  of  the  intervals  between  the  questions  addressed  to  the 
Spirits  and  the  responses  thereto,  were  computed  by  the  audible  second- 
strokes  of  a  clock  in  an  adjoining  apartment ;  the  periods  of  waiting 
being  necessarily  brief  in  view  of  the  assurance  of  the  Medium  (as  set 
forth  in  its  proper  place  in  the  Keport)  that  "  When  the  raps  come, 
they  come  right  away." 

The  "  Spirit  Rappings  "  varied  materially  in  quality  and  character, 
being  at  times  faintly,  and  at  other  times  distinctly  audible. 

The  record  of  the  Investigation  is  as  follows : 

Mr.  Sellers :  Is  any  Spirit  present  now  ? 

Three  raps — faint  and  partly  indistinct — are  almost  instantly  audible. 
The  raps  apparently  emanate  from  the  floor-space  directly  beneath,  or 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  table.  This  remark  is  applicable  to 
all  the  rappings  during  the  seance  at  the  pine  table. 

The  Medium  (interpreting  the  sounds) :     That  was  "  Yes." 

Mr.  Sellers  (aside):     They  sounded  like  three. 

The  raps  are  immediately  repeated  with  more  distinctness. 

Mr.  Sellers  (aside):     There  are  three,  and  they  are  quite  distinct. 

(Resuming):     Is  the  Spirit  the  same  one  that  was  present  last  night? 

Three  raps,  apparently  identical  with  those  last  heard,  are  again 
audible. 

Mr.  Sellers  (aside):     It  says  it  is  the  same  Spirit. 

(Resuming)  :     I  presume  then  it  is  Henry  Seybert? 

(No  response.)     Is  it  Henry  Seybert? 

Three  raps — distinct  and  positive. 

Mr.  Sellers :  You  promised  last  evening  to  give  a  communication  to 
Mr.  Pepper.     Are  you  able  to  communicate  with  him  now  ? 

Two  raps — comparatively  feeble. 

The  Medium  (interpreting):  One,  two:  that  means  "not  now." 

Mr.  Sellers  (repeating):  "Not  now." 

The  Medium  (reflectively) :  But  probably  before  he  leaves. 

Three  raps — quickly,  distinctly  and  instantly  given. 

The  Medium:  He  said  "Yes,"  "before  he  leaves."  (To  Mr.  Sel- 
lers) :     You  asked  that  question,  I  think  ? 


37 

Mr.  Sellers :  Yes.  (Resuming) :  Will  you  communicate  with  him 
before  Mr.  Pepper  leaves  to-night? 

Three  raps — instantaneous,  quick  and  vigorous.  The  sounds  in  this 
instance  are  four  times  repeated,  the  repetitions  being  in  quick  succes- 
sion and  apparently  without  variation  in  quality  or  character. 

Mr.  Sellers  (addressing  his  associates) :  It  has  been  very  clearly 
shown  to-night  that  certain  sounds  of  greater  or  less  volume  have  been 
produced.  We  have  heard  the  sounds.  We  are  conscious  that  they 
are  raps.  It  is  exceedingly  important,  in  deference  to  the  Medium 
herself,  that  we  should  prove  that  she  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  pro- 
duction of  the  sounds  other  than  in  a  Spiritualistic  capacity.  I  would 
like  to  ask  her  if  there  is  any  test  that  she  herself  can  propose  which 
would  be  capable  of  satisfying  us  that  she  does  not  produce  the  sounds. 

The  Medium :  I  could  name  a  great  many  tests,  but  they  might  not 
be  satisfactory  to  you ;  for  instance,  the  one  of  standing  on  glass  tum- 
blers, where  the  raps  are  produced  on  the  floor. 

Mr.  Sellers:    Will  the  raps  be  produced  under  such  circumstances? 

The  Medium :  I  cannot  say  that  they  will  be,  any  more  than  I  can 
say  that  they  will  be  produced  through  the  use  of  the  table.  In  fact, 
they  are  not  so  readily  produced  sometimes. 

Mr.  Sellers:  I  understand  your  position.  But  you  say  that  there 
are  cases  in  which,  when  the  Medium  is  standing  upon  glass,  the  sounds 
are  produced. 

The  Medium :  Oh,  yes.  I  mention  that — the  producing  through 
glass — as  one  of  the  most  difficult  of  tests. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Then  the  sounds  will  be  just  beneath  your  feet,  will 
they? 

The  Medium :  Well,  they  will  seem  to  be.  They  may  be  on  the 
side. 

After  a  brief  interval,  during  which  Mr.  Furness  absented  himself  to 
procure  glass  tumblers,  the  colloquy  with  the  Medium  was  resumed. 

Mr.  Sellers :  While  we  are  waiting  for  those  tumblers,  will  you  re- 
peat the  experiment  of  last  night,  that  of  standing  near  the  table  and 
not  touching  it,  to  see  if  the  same  character  of  sounds  then  produced 
can  be  again  heard?  Last  evening  wTe  had  a  very  satisfactory  exhibi- 
tion of  that. 

The  Medium :  Yes.  But  we  have  to  keep  to  a  certain  condition ; 
that  is,  you  are  not  to  break.  For  instance,  if  you  will  all  stand  up 
and  stand  touching  the  table — all  of  us — until  we  get  started,  it  will  be 
some  assistance. 

All  of  the  gentlemen  and  the  Medium  rise  and  remain  standing  with 
their  hands  in  contact  with  the  table. 


38 

The  Medium  (continuing) :  This  is  a  test,  something  that  I  have  not 
gone  through  with  since  I  was  a  little  child  almost. 

Mr.  Sellers  (after  an  interval  of  waiting) :  There  seem  to  be  no  raps. 
(Another  short  interval.)  Now,  Mr.  Seybert,  cannot  you  produce  some 
raps? 

Eighty  seconds  here  elapsed  with  no  response,  when  the  Medium 
made  an  observation  which  was  partly  inaudible  at  the  Reporter's 
seat,  the  purport  of  which  was  that  the  Spirit  communications  are  some- 
times retarded  or  facilitated  by  a  compliance  by  the  listeners  with 
certain  conditions.  Another  interval  of  probably  two  minutes  elapsed, 
when  the  Medium  suggested  to  Dr.  Leidy  to  place  his  hands  upon  the 
table.     The  suggestion  was  complied  with. 

Mr.  Sellers  inquires  of  the  Medium  whether  a  change  in  her  position, 
with  regard  to  the  table,  would  do  any  good. 

The  Medium :  I  will  change  positions  with  you. 

The  change  was  made  accordingly,  but  without  result,  and  another 
period  of  waiting  followed. 

The  Medium  (to  Dr.  Leidy) :  Suppose  you  ask  some  questions.  You 
may  have  some  friend  who  will  respond. 

Dr.  Leidy:  Is  any  Spirit  present  whom  I  know,  or  who  knows  me? 

After  a  pause  of  ten  seconds,  three  light  raps  are  heard. 

Dr.  Leidy:  Who  am  I? 

The  Medium  explains  that  the  responses  by  rappings  are  mainly  in- 
dicative only  of  affirmation  or  negation. 

Dr.  Leidy :  Will  you  repeat  your  taps  to  indicate  that  you  are  pres- 
ent yet? 

Three  taps  are  heard. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Those  are  very  clearly  heard. 

The  Medium  (to  Dr.  Leidy):  Ask  if  that  is  Mr.  Seybert? 

Dr.  Leidy:  Is  Mr.  Seybert  present? 

Three  raps — very  feeble. 

Dr.  Leidy  (to  Mr.  Sellers)  :  Was  there  an  answer  to  that? 

Mr.  Sellers:  There  was.  The  answer  was  three  raps.  (After  an 
interval,  in  which  no  response  is  received)  :  There  seem  to  be  no  further 
communications.  I  suggest  that  the  test  with  the  glass  tumblers  be 
now  tried. 

Upon  the  suggestion  of  the  Medium,  the  test  referred  to  was  momen- 
tarily deferred,  and  Mr.  Sellers  made  this  inquiry : 

It  is  proposed  that  the  Medium  shall  stand  upon  tumblers.  Are  we 
likely  to  have  any  demonstration? 

Three  raps — promptly  given,  though  feeble  in  delivery  and  but 
faintly  audible. 


39 

The  Medium :  There  were  three — a  kind  of  tardy  assent. 

Mr.  Sellers  (to  the  Medium) :  As  if  the  Spirits  might  or  might  not 
communicate? 

The  Medium :  Well,  that  a  trial  might  be  made. 

Three  raps  are  here  again  instantly  heard — the  characteristics  of 
the  sounds  in  this  instance  being  rapidity  and  energy,  or  positiveness. 

The  Medium :  That  is  a  quick  answer. 

At  this  point  attention  is  directed  to  the  first  of  a  series  of  experi- 
ments with  four  glass  tumblers,  which  are  placed  together,  with  the 
bottoms  upward,  on  the  carpeted  floor,  in  the  centre  of  a  vacant  space. 
The  Medium  stands  directly  upon  these,  the  heels  of  her  shoes  resting 
upon  the  rear  tumblers  and  the  soles  upon  the  front  tumblers.  The 
Committee  co-operate  with  the  Medium,  and,  in  conformity  with  her 
suggestions,  all  the  men  clasp  hands  and  form  a  semi-circle  in  front 
of  the  Medium,  the  hands  of  the  latter  being  grasped  by  the  gentlemen 
nearest  to  her  on  either  side. 

Mr.  Sellers  (after  a  notification  from  the  Medium  to  proceed) :  Is 
Mr.  Seybert  still  present? 

No  response. 

The  Medium:  It  may  be  a  few  minutes  before  you  will  hear  any 
rapping  through  these  glasses. 

Ten  seconds  elapse. 

The  Medium :  This  test  is  a  very  satisfactory  one,  if  they  do  it.  And 
they  have  done  it  a  hundred  times. 

Five  seconds  elapse. 

The  Medium  (to  Mr.  Furness) :  The  glasses  are  not  placed  over 
marble,  are  they? 

Mr.  Furness:  No;  the  floor  is  of  wood. 

Mr.  Sellers  (after  another  interval  of  waiting)  informally  remarked 
to  Mr.  Furness:  We  will  wait  probably  for  another  minute  to  see  if 
anything  comes.  As  you  know,  the  Medium  claims  it  is  impossible  for 
her  to  control  these  things — that  she  is  merely  one  who  is  operated 
through. 

Another  interval  expires. 

The  Medium :  That  was  a  very  faint  rap.  Suppose  we  change  the 
position  of  the  glasses. 

Note  by  the  Stenographer. — No  intimation  is  given  that  the  rap 
here  spoken  of  was  heard  by  any  one  other  than  the  Medium  herself. 
Pursuant  to  the  request  just  stated,  the  carpet  is  removed  and  the  glass 
tumblers  are  located  on  the  bare  floor  at  a  point  about  five  feet  distant 
from  the  place  at  which  the  first  test  was  tried.     The  new  location  is 


40 

in  the  centre  of  a  passage  way,  about  three  feet  in  width,  between  a 
side-board  on  one  side  and  a  wall  projection  on  the  other.  Its  selection 
is  apparently,  though  not  specifically,  dictated  by  the  position  and 
movements  of  the  Medium.  The  Medium  and  the  Committee  resume 
their  positions,  the  former  standing  on  the  glasses  and  the  gentlemen 
facing  her  in  a  group. 

The  Medium:  Now,  Spirits,  will  you  rap  on  the  floor? 

Thirty  seconds  here  elapsed  with  no  response,  when  one  glass  was 
heard  to  click  against  another,  and  the  Medium  exclaimed,  "Oh." 

The  Medium  (repeating):  Will  you  rap  on  the  floor? 

Thirty  seconds  now  elapse  without  any  demonstration. 

The  Medium  (aside) :  It  seems  to  be  a  failure.     They  have  done  it. 

Another  click  of  the  glasses,  which  passes  without  comment. 

Mr.  Sellers :  We  will  have  to  set  down  the  result  of  the  experiment 
on  glass  tumblers  as  negative.     It  may  be  well  to  try  it  later. 

The  Medium  (evidently  reluctant  to  abandon  the  test)  :  Suppose  now, 
as  we  have  gone  so  far,  we  kind  of  form  a  chain. 

The  company  retained  their  positions  with  hands  joined,  and  the 
Spirits  were  repeatedly  requested  to  make  their  presence  known — 
Mr.  Pepper,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Medium,  asking  the  Spirit  of 
his  friend,  Henry  Seybert,  to  manifest  its  presence  by  one  rap — but  all 
efforts  to  elicit  such  response  proved  ineffectual.  The  glasses  were 
then  removed  and  the  requests  were  again  reiterated,  but  with  a  like 
negative  result.  The  Medium  finally  remarked  that  she  had  rarely 
known  of  failures  with  the  glass  tumblers,  but  it  had  been  a  long  time 
since  she  had  tried  them.  She  suggested  that  this  branch  of  the  investi- 
gation might  be  deferred  until  later. 

The  Committee  acquiesced  in  the  suggestion  and  returned  to  the 
pine  table,  where,  with  the  Medium,  they  resume  their  original  posi- 
tions. The  Stenographer  is  seated  at  the  table  in  the  rear  of  the  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Now  we  have  returned  to  the  table.  Can  you  indicate 
on  the  table  your  presence,  Mr.  Seybert? 

An  interval  of  sixty-four  seconds  here  followed. 

The  Medium:  Ask  some  questions  that  would  interest  him  in  life. 

As  Mr.  Sellers  was  repeating  to  Mr.  Pepper  the  suggestion  made  by 
the  Medium,  three  raps  were  heard. 

Mr.  Sellers:  There  is  now  a  communication  that  he  is  present. 

Mr.  Pepper :  Harry,  would  you  like  to  know  something  about  this 
investigation  of  Spiritual  manifestations,  which  you  had  so  much  at 
heart  wThile  living? 


41 

Three  raps — prompt  and  decided. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Do  you,  Mr.  Seybert,  at  the  present  time,  see  the  per- 
sons present  ?     Are  they  visible  before  you  ? 

Two  raps — noticeably  slow. 

Mr.  Sellers  (aside)  :  He  says  "  No,  they  are  not." 

The  Medium  (interpreting)  :  Well,  that  would  be  too — '  partially.' 

Dr.  Koenig:  What  would  that  mean — that  he  only  sees  some  of  us, 
or  that  he  sees  none  of  us  entirely,  but  only  partially  ? 

The  Medium :  That  he  sees  us,  but  not  clearly. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Will  you  please  rap  the  number  of  the  members  of 
the  Committee  who  are  present  at  this  time? 

Three  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Now,  say  how  many. 

Three  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Are  there  only  three? 

The  Medium  (to  Mr.  Sellers) :  That  answer  wTas  '  Yes,'  I  think. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Well,  you  say  you  can  do  it.  Please  count  the 
number  of  the  members  of  the  Committee  who  are  present. 

*  Seven  raps — very  slow,  deliberate  and  distinct. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Are  there  seven  members  of  the  Committee  present  ? 

Three  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Are  they  all  seated  around  one  table? 

No  response.     About  forty  seconds  elapse. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Are  they  seated  at  two  tables  ? 

f  Three  raps — quite  feeble. 

Mr.  Sellers  (to  his  associates) :  We  still  must  go  back  to  the  one 
thing.  The  information  we  receive  through  these  responses  is  of  little 
importance  to  us  compared  with  the  information  which  we  must  obtain 
as  to  whether  these  sounds  are  produced  by  a  disembodied  Spirit  or  by 
some  living  person ;  that  is,  in  deference  to  the  Medium.  (To  Mr. 
Furness)  :     Do  you  not  think  so  ? 

Mr.  Furness  is  understood  to  assent. 

Mr.  Sellers  (continuing) :  We  have  tried  the  glass  tumblers.  We 
have  the  sounds  here.     I  would  ask  Mrs.  Kane  if  it  is  proper  for  us  to 

*  When,  in  answer  to  Mr.  Sellers'  question,  the  raps  counted  the  number  of  the 
Committee  present,  the  number  seven  was  indicated.  This  counted  in  Mr.  George 
S.  Pepper    nd  the  Stenographer. — G.  S.  F. 

f  When  the  raps  indicated  that  the  members  of  the  Commission  sat  at  two 
tables,  this  expressly  included  in  the  number  of  the  Commission  the  Stenogra- 
pher, who  sat  at  a  different  table  from  that  at  which  the  members  of  the  Commis- 
sion were  seated  at  the  time  of  asking  the  question. — G.  S.  F 


42 

look  below  the  top  of  the  table  at  the  time  the  sounds  are  being  pro- 
duced, and  in  such  a  way  as  to  see  her  feet. 

The  Medium:  Yes,  of  course,  you  could  do  that,  but  it  is  not  well 
to  break,  when  you  are  standing,  suddenly.  As  you  know,  you  have 
to  conform  to  the  rules,  else  you  will  get  no  rappings. 

Mr.  Sellers :  What  are  the  rules  ? 

The  Medium  (disconnectedly) :  The  rules  are — every  test  condition, 
that  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  go  through,  and  have  gone  through  a 
thousand  times — at  the  same  time,  there  are  times  when  you  can  break 
the  rules.  So  slight  a  thing  as  the  disjoining  of  hands  may  break 
the  rules.  I  do  not  think  the  standing  on  the  glass  has  been  fully 
tried. 

Mr.  Sellers :  We  will  try  that  later. 

Mr.  Furness  (to  the  Medium — informally) :  This  investigation  is  one 
of  great  importance  to  us.  There  is  no  question  about  it — we  have 
heard  these  curious  sounds.  Now,  as  to  whether  they  come  from 
Spirits  or  not — that  would  seem  to  be  the  very  next  logical  step  in  our 
inquiry.  I  think  you  are  entirely  at  one  with  us  in  every  possible 
desire  to  have  this  phenomenon  investigated. 

The  Medium:  Oh,  certainly.  But  I  pledge  myself  to  conform  to 
nothing,  for — as  I  said  in  Europe — I  do  not  even  say  the  sounds  are 
from  Spirits;  and,  what  is  more,  it  is  utterly  beyond  human  power  to 
detect  them.  I  do  not  say  they  are  the  Spirits  of  our  departed  friends, 
but  I  leave  others  to  judge  for  themselves. 

Mr.  Furness :  Then  you  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are 
entirely  independent  of  yourself. 

The  Medium :  No,  I  do  not  know  that  they  are  entirely  independent 
of  myself. 

Mr.  Furness:  Under  what  conditions  can  you  influence  them? 

The  response,  which  was  partly  inaudible  at  the  Reporter's  seat,  was 
understood  to  be :  "I  cannot  tell." 

Mr.  Furness :  You  say  that,  in  the  generality  of  cases,  they  are  be- 
yond your  control  ? 

The  Medium :  Yes. 

Mr.  Furness:  How  in  the  world  shall  we  test  that  ? 

The  Medium :  Well,  by 

Mr.  Furness :  By — what  ?     Isolating  you  from  the  table  ? 

The  Medium :  Yes. 

Mr.  Furness  (applying  his  right  hand,  by  her  permission,  to  the 
Medium's  head) :  Are  you  ever  conscious  of  any  vibration  in  your 
bones? 


43 

The  Medium :  No ;  but  sometimes  it  causes  an  exhaustion,  that  is, 
under  circumstances  when  the  raps  do  not  come  freely. 

Mr.  Furness :  The  freer  the  raps  come,  the  better  for  you  ? 

The  Medium  :  Yes  ;  the  freer  the  better — the  less  exhaustion. 

Mr.  Sellers:  But  do  you  feel  now,  to-night,  any  untoward  influence 
operating  against  you  ? 

The  Medium:  No,  not  to-night,  for  it  takes  quite  a  little  while 
before  we  feel  those  things. 

Mr.  Furness :  Do  these  raps  always  have  that  vibratory  sound — tr- 
rut — tr-rut — tr-rut  ? 

The  Medium  :  Sometimes  they  vary. 

Mr.  Furness :  As  a  general  rule  I  have  heard  them  sound  so. 

The  Medium :  Every  rap  has  a  different  sound.  For  instance,  when 
the  Spirit  of  Mr.  Seybert  rapped,  if  the  sound  was  a  good  one,  you 
would  have  noticed  that  his  rap  was  different  from  that  of  another. 
Every  one  is  entirely  different  from  another. 

Mr.  Furness:  Do  you  suppose  that  the  present  conditions  are  such 
that  you  can  throw  the  raps  to  a  part  of  the  room  other  than  that  in 
w?hich  you  are  ? 

The  Medium :  I  do  not   pretend  to  do  that,  but  I  will  try  to  do  it. 

Mr.  Furness  and  Dr.  Leidy  station  themselves  in  the  corner 
of  the  room,  diagonally,  and  most  remote  from  the  pine  table,  at 
which  their  associates  remain  seated,  with  their  hands  upon  the 
table,  and  'their  minds  intent  on  having  the  raps  produced  at  the 
corner  indicated,'  as  requested  by  the  Medium,  who  also  remains  at 
the  table.  The  Medium  asks,  '  Will  the  Spirit  rap  at  the  other  side 
of  the  room,'  and,  after  twelve  seconds,  and  again  after  forty- three 
seconds,  repeats  the  inquiry.  No  response  is  received.  The  experi- 
ment is  repeated  with  Mr.  Furness  and  Dr.  Koenig  at  the  corner,  but 
with  a  like  negative  result. 

At  this  point  the  attention  of  the  Committee  was  again  directed  to 
the  attempted  production  of  the  rappings  with  the  Medium  standing 
upon  the  glass  tumblers.  The  lady  proceeded  to  the  space  between 
the  side-board  and  the  wall  where  the  last  preceding  test  had  been  made, 
and  there  the  tumblers  were  again  arranged.  The  Medium  resumed 
her  position  upon  them,  with  Doctors  Leidy  and  Koenig,  and  Messrs. 
Sellers  and  Furness  facing  her. 

The  Medium :  Will  the  Spirit  rap  here  ? 

Twenty-three  seconds  elapse. 

Dr.  Leidy  :  Is  any  Spirit  present  ? 

An  interval  of  thirty-nine  seconds  here  followed,  when  the  atten- 


44 

tion  of  the  Committee  was  momentarily  diverted  by  an  inquiry  ad- 
dressed to  Mr.  Furness  by  Mr.  Sellers,  viz. :  Whether  a  glass  plate  of 
sufficient  strength  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  Medium  was  procurable. 
At  this  moment  the  Medium  suddenly  exclaimed :  '  I  heard  a  rap. 
You  said,  "  Get  a  glass,"  and  there  was  a  rap.'  * 

The  Medium  (repeating  for  the  information  of  Mr.  Furness)  :  Some- 
body proposed  a  glass  and  there  were  three  raps. 

Dr.  Koenig  inquires  of  the  Medium  whether  the  meaning  intended 
to  be  conveyed  by  the  sounds  is  that  the  Spirits  desire  to  have  the  glass 
plate  procured. 

The  Medium:  I  do  not  know.  I  know  there  were  raps.  (Turn- 
ing to  Mr.  Sellers,  the  Medium  adds)  :  They  may  have  been  made 
by  your  heel  on  the  floor  but  certainly  there  were  sounds. 

Mr.  Fullerton :  Then  it  was  not  the  regular  triple  rap  ? 

The  Medium  :  I  could  not  tell. 

Just  before  calling  attention  to  the  alleged  rap  or  raps  the  Medium 
grasped  with  her  right  hand  the  woodwork  of  the  side-board  as 
if  for  support.  It  was  then  that  she  stated  she  heard  the  sounds. 
They  were  apparently  not  heard  by  any  one  but  the  Medium. 

Mr.  Sellers  (addressiug  the  Spirit)  :  Will  you  repeat  the  raps  we 
heard  just  now,  assuming  that  there  were  some  ? 

Ten  minutes  elapse  without  a  response. 

The  Medium:  There  is  no  use  of  my  standing  longer,  for  when  they 
come  at  all  they  come  right  away. 

Mr.  Sellers  (after  scrutinizing  the  position  of  one  of  the  feet  of  the 
Medium,  remarks)  :  The  edge  of  the  heel  of  the  shoe  rests  on  the  back 
tumbler.  (Assuming  a  stooping  posture  for  a  more  prolonged  scrutiny, 
he  adds)  :     We  will  see  whether  the  raps  will  be  produced  now. 

The  Medium  now  proposes  that  all  members  of  the  Committee 
shall  stand  up  and  join  hands. 

Mr.  Sellers  and  his  associates  accordingly  stand,  facing  the  Me- 
dium, with  hands  joined.  Changes  in  their  positions  were  made  by 
some  of  the  gentlemen  from  time  to  time,  as  suggested  by  the  Medium, 
Mr.  Pepper  and  Dr.  Koenig  being  the  first  to  exchange  places.  This 
occurred  after  a  silence  of  thirty  seconds  without  any  response. 

The  Medium :  Now,  Mr.  Seybert,  if  your  Spirit  is  here,  will  you 
have  the  kindness — I  knew  Mr.  Seybert  well  in  life — to  rap  ? 

Fifteen  seconds  elapse. 

The  Medium :  No,  he  does  not  seem  to  respond. 

*  No  one  but  the  Medium  heard  this  rap. — G.  S.  F. 


45 

At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Sellers,  all  the  gentlemen  approach  the 
Medium  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  some  acknowledgment  by  the 
Spirit,  and  inquiries  similar  to  those  already  stated  are  repeated  without 
result.     The  Committee  then  temporarily  abandon  this  test. 

All  present  (except  the  Stenographer)  having  been  seated  at  the  large 
circular  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  Mr.  Pepper  addressed  the 
Spirit  of  Mr.  Seybert,  as  follows :  '  Harry,  will  you  communicate 
with  me  as  you  promised  to  do  ? ' 

(Three  raps — given  slowly  and  deliberately — are  heard.) 

Mr.  Sellers :  "Will  you  communicate  with  Mr.  Pepper  by  raps  or  by 
writing  ?     (No  response.)     Will  you  communicate  by  raps  ? 

The  Medium  (to  Mr.  Sellers) :  Well,  my  hand  does  feel  like 
writing.  Will  you  give  me  a  piece  of  paper  ? — and  maybe  they  will 
give  me  some  directions. 

Mr.  Fullerton  (to  the  Medium)  :  How  does  your  hand  feel  when  af- 
fected in  that  way  ? 

The  Medium  :  It  is  a  peculiar  feeling,  like  that  from  taking  hold  of 
electrical  instruments.  I  do  not  know  but  that  you  might  possibly  feel 
it  in  my  hand. 

The  lady  here  extended  her  right  hand  upon  the  table  toward  Mr. 
Fullerton.  The  latter  placed  his  left  hand  upon  the  extended  hand  of 
the  Medium,  and  subsequently  remarked  that  the  pulsation  of  her  wrist 
was  a  little  above  the  ordinary  rate. 

The  Medium,  ostensibly  under  Spirit  influence,  with  lead  pencil 
in  hand  proceeded  to  write  two  communications  from  the  Spirit 
of  the  late  Henry  Seybert.  The  first  of  these  covered  two  pages  of 
paper  of  the  size  of  ordinary  foolscap.  The  Medium  wrote  in  large 
characters,  with  remarkable  rapidity,  and  in  a  direction  from  the 
right  to  the  left,  or  the  reverse  of  ordinary  handwriting.  The  writing, 
consequently,  could  be  read  only  from  the  reverse  side  of  the  paper  and 
by  being  held  up  so  as  to  permit  the  gas-light  to  pass  through  it. 

The  communications,  as  deciphered  by  Mr.  Sellers,  with  the  aid 
of  Mr.  Fullerton  and  the  Medium,  were  as  follows  :  "  You  must 
not  expect  that  I  can  satisfy  you  beyond  all  doubt  in  so  short  a  time  as 
you  have  yet  had.  I  want  to  give  you  all  in  my  power,  and  will  do  so 
if  you  will  give  me  a  chance.  You  must  commence  right  in  the  first 
place  or  you  shall  all  be  disappointed  for  a  much  longer  time.  Princii- 
pis  Obsta  Sero  Medicina  Paratum. 

Henry  Seybert. 

"Mend  the  fault  in  time  or  we  will  all  be  puzzled. 

Henry  Seybert." 


46 

The  foregoing  were  understood  to  be  directed  to  Mr.  Pepper,  in 
accordance  with  the  assurance  given  by  the  Spirit  that  it  would 
communicate  with  him. 

Subsequently,  when  the  trance  condition  had  apparently  dis- 
appeared, the  Medium  complied  with  a  request  to  write,  as  it  would 
be  read  to  her,  the  Latin  phrase  at  the  end  of  the  first  communication. 
Using  the  pencil  in  her  right  hand,  she  transcribed  slowly  and  in  the 
usual  direction  from  left  to  right.  The  style  of  her  handwriting  was 
small  and  comparatively  neat.  Apparently  in  every  particular  her 
writing  in  this  instance  was  the  exact  opposite  of  that  made  by  her 
while  in  the  alleged  trance  condition.  She  here  stated  that,  ordinarily, 
she  wrote  in  the  same  manner  in  which  people  generally  write,  with 
her  right  hand  and  from  left  to  right.  With  respect  to  her  inability 
to  transcribe  the  Latin  words  until  these  had  been  spelled  for  her,  she 
explained  that  she  was  not  at  all  familiar  with  Latin.* 

A  member  of  the  Committee,  commenting  upon  a  defect  in  the  spell- 
ing of  the  first  of  the  Latin  words  in  the  Spirit  communication,  sug- 
gested that  the  error  might  be  accounted  for  on  the  hypothesis  that 
Mr.  Seybert,  in  life,  was  accustomed  to  the  use  of  poor  Latin. 

The  Medium  further  explained  that  her  understanding  of  the  second 
communication  was  that  it  was  a  translation  of  the  Latin  contained  in 
the  first. 

The  glass  tumblers  are  here  again  produced  and  the  Medium  takes 
her  position  upon  them,  with  Mr.  Fullerton  standing  next  to  her  upon 
the  right  and  Mr.  Furness  to  the  left.  Mr.  Sellers  remains  for  some 
moments  kneeling  on  the  floor  to  enable  himself  better  to  hear  any 
sounds  that  may  be  but  faintly  audible.  The  Spirits  are  repeatedly 
importuned  by  the  Medium  to  produce  the  rappings,  but  no  response 
is  heard  until  the  company  is  about  to  abandon  the  experiment. 
Three  raps  are  then  audible.    The  raps  are  very  light  but  very  distinct. 

Mr.  Fullerton  states  that  he  heard  the  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers :  I  heard  a  sound  then,  but  it  seemed  as  if  it  was  around 
there.  (Indicating  along  the  wall  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the 
Medium.) 

The  tumblers  are  here  moved  further  away  from  the  wall  and  the 
Medium  resumes  her  position  upon  them. 

Mr.  Sellers:  Will  the  Spirit  rap  again?     (No  response.) 

The  Medium :  Were  any  of  you  gentlemen  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Seybert  in  his  lifetime  ? 

*  Mr.  George  S.  Pepper,  who  was  present,  said  that  Mr.  Seybert  knew  no 
Latin.— G.  S.  F. 


47 

Mr.  Fullertoii :  I  saw  him  several  times  before  his  death.  If  he  can 
give  an  intimation  now  of  anything  he  said  at  that  time,  it  will  indicate 
that  he  remembers  it. 

A  very  faint  rap  is  heard. 

The  Medium  :  There  is  a  rap.  It  seems  to  be  there  again.  (Indi- 
cating the  spot  to  which  attention  was  previously  called  by  Mr.  Sellers.) 

The  Medium  again  importunes,  first,  '  Mr.  Seybert '  and  next  'the 
Spirits'  'to  rap;'  and  the  importunities  are  repeated.  Three  raps 
are  distinctly  but  faintly  heard. 

Mr.  Sellers :  I  heard  them.  They  sounded  somewhat  like  the  others, 
not  exactly. 

The  Medium :  I  heard  one  rap,  but  it  is  nothing  for  me  to  hear 
them ;  I  want  you  gentlemen  to  hear  them. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Probably  we  will  hear  them  again. 

While  Mr.  Sellers  and  Mr.  Furness  are  conversing,  several  raps  are 
heard,  though  less  distinct  than  the  preceding  ones. 

The  Medium :  There  they  are  as  though  right  under  the  glass. 
(After  a  silence  of  forty  seconds) :  Now  I  hear  them  again  very  light 
— oh,  very  light. 

Mr.  Furness,  with  the  permission  of  the  Medium,  places  his  hand 
upon  one  of  her  feet. 

The  Medium  :  There  are  raps  now,  strong — yes,  I  hear  them. 

Mr.  Furness  (to  the  Medium)  :  This  is  the  most  wonderful  thing  of 
all,  Mrs.  Kane,  I  distinctly  feel  them  in  your  foot.  There  is  not  a 
particle  of  motion  in  your  foot,  but  there  is  an  unusual  pulsation. 

Mr.  Sellers  here  made  some  inquiries  of  the  Medium,  concerning 
the  shoes  now  worn  by  her.  The  replies,  which  were  not  direct,  are 
here  given. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Are  those  the  shoes  which  you  usually  wear  ? 

The  Medium :  I  wear  all  kinds  of  shoes. 

Mr.  Sellers :  Are  the  sounds  sometimes  produced  in  your  room  when 
you  have  no  shoes  on. 

The  Medium :  More  or  less.  They  are  produced  under  all  circum- 
stances. 

Following  the  suggestion  of  the  Medium,  all  present  proceed 
through  an  intervening  apartment  to  the  library  where  the  Me- 
dium selects  various  positions — standing  upon  a  lounge,  then  upon 
a  cushioned  chair,  next  upon  a  step-ladder  and  fmally  upon  the  side  of 
a  book-case — but  all  with  a  like  unsuccessful  result,  no  response  by 
rappings  being  heard. 

Upon  an  intimation  being  given  by  a  member  of  the  Committee  that 


48 

the  Medium  may  be  wearied,  the  further  prosecution  of  the  Investiga- 
tion is  temporarily  deferred. 

After  the  examination  of  Mrs.  Kane,  and  after  the  Stenographer  had 
left,  the  Commission  held  a  conference,  and  commissioned  Mr.  Furness 
to  lay  before  Mrs.  Kane  the  question  of  continuing  or  closing  the 
investigation,  so  far  as  she  was  concerned.  If  she  were  sanguine  of 
more  satisfactory  results  at  another  seance,  the  Commission  was  willing 
to  prolong  the  investigation.  Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


Below  is  given  the  letter  from  Mr.  Furness,  explaining  why  the 
investigation  of  Mrs.  Kane  was  not  continued.  The  decision  to  discon- 
tinue it  came  from  her. 

My  Dear  Fullerton: 

You  remember  that  the  members  of  The  Seybert  Commission  sepa- 
rated last  evening  with  the  understanding  that  we  should  meet  Mrs. 
Kane  again  this  evening,  if  Mrs.  Kane,  desired  it,  and  that  they  re- 
quested me  to  lay  the  question  before  her  for  her  decision. 

Accordingly,  I  had  an  interview  with  her  this  morning,  of  which 
the  following  is  as  accurate  an  account  as  I  can  remember. 

I  told  her  that  the  Commission  had  now  had  two  seances  with  her, 
and  that  the  conclusion  to  which  they  had  come  is  that  the  so-called 
raps  are  confined  wholly  to  her  person,  whether  produced  by  her 
voluntarily  or  involuntarily  they  had  not  attempted  to  decide ; 
furthermore,  that  although  thus  satisfied  in  their  own  minds  they  were 
anxious  to  treat  her  with  all  possible  deference  and  consideration,  and 
accordingly  had  desired  me  to  say  to  her  that  if  she  thought  another 
seance  with  her  would  or  might  modify  or  reverse  their  conclusion, 
they  held  themselves  ready  to  meet  her  again  this  evening  and  renew 
the  investigation  of  the  manifestations;  at  the  same  time  I  felt  it  my 
duty  to  add  that  in  that  case  the  examination  would  necessarily  be  of 
the  most  searching  description. 

Mrs.  Kane  replied  that  the  manifestations  at  both  stances  had  been 
of  an  unsatisfactory  nature,  so  unsatisfactory  that  she  really  could  not 
blame  the  Commission  for  arriving  at  their  conclusion.  In  her  present 
state  of  health  she  doubted  whether  a  third  meeting  would  prove  any 
better  than  the  two  already  held.  It  might  be  even  more  unsatisfactory, 


49 

and  instead  of  removing  the  present  belief  of  the  Commission  it  might 
add  confirmation  of  it.  In  view  of  these  considerations,  she  decided 
not  to  hold  another  seance. 

Afterward,  during  the  forenoon  (you  know  she  has  been  and  still  is 
my  guest),  she  recurred  to  the  subject,  and  added  that  if  hereafter  her 
health  improved  it  would  give  her  pleasure  to  make  a  free-will  offering 
to  the  Commission  of  a  number  of  seances  for  further  investigations. 

I  forgot  to  tell  you,  when  we  last  met,  that  yesterday  morning,  the 
6th  of  November,  I  brought  away  from  Mrs.  Patterson  our  sealed  slate. 
It  contains  no  writing,  so  Mrs.  Patterson  says.  During  the  many 
months  that  it  has  been  in  this  Medium's  possession  I  have  made  to 
her  the  most  urgent  appeals,  both  in  person  and  by  letter,  to  fulfill  her 
promise  of  causing  the  writing  to  appear  in  it.  Her  invariable  excuse 
has  been  her  lack  of  time. 

I  Remain  Yours, 

Horace  Howard  Furness, 

Acting  Chairman. 
7th  November,  1884. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  last  paragraph  of  tne  preceding  letter 
that  the  attempt  to  produce  '  independent  writing '  on  the  inside 
of  the  slate  sealed  by  the  Commission  was  without  result. 

The  slate  was  sealed  on  May  31st,  1884  (as  described  in  the  records 
of  the  meeting  of  that  date),  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Medium, 
Mrs.  Patterson,  the  next  day,  where  it  remained  until  November  6th. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


January  16th,  1885. 

The  Commission  met  on  Friday  evening,  January  16th,  1885,  for  the 
purpose  of  examining  a  second  slate  which  had  been  sealed  by  Mr. 
Furness  and  left  with  Mrs.  Patterson,  and  was  now  returned  to  the 
Commission. 

The  slate  was  screwed  and  sealed  by  Mr.  Furness,  just  before  Christ- 
mas, and  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Medium  until  January  12th. 

[So  importunate  was  the  Acting  Chairman  in  his  entreaties  to  Mrs. 
Patterson  to  bring  to  bear  on  these  slates  all  her  Spiritual  power,  that 
at  last  he  induced  her  to  name  a  certain  afternoon  that  should  be  de- 
voted to  the  task.  He  went  to  her  house  on  the  day  named,  and  sat 
4 


50 

with  her  while  she  held  the  slates  in  her  lap.  To  increase  to  the  utmost, 
all  available  Spiritual  force,  Mrs.  Patterson's  two  daughters  and  her 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Winner,  were  called  in  and  shared  the  session. 
After  sitting  for  nearly  two  hours,  the  little  pencil  had  not  made  its 
appearance  on  the  outside,  but  could  still  be  heard  rattling  inside,  and 
the  obdurate  Spirits  were  abandoned  for  the  day. — H.  H.  F.] 
The  slate  was  secured  as  follows  : 


r    6 


i\7 


s 


TTT 


8 


T3C 


a 


The  two  leaves  of  the  slate  were  fastened  by  four  screws  at  1,  2,  3  and 
4 ;  one  side  of  the  slate  was  already  secured  by  the  hinges  8,  8  ;  the 
slate  had  then  been  wrapped  by  the  tape  9,  9,  as  indicated,  the  knot 
being  at  4 ;  seals  had  then  been  set  over  the  heads  of  the  screws,  upon 
the  tape,  at  1,  2,  3  and  4,  and  also  over  the  ends  of  the  screws,  upon 
the  tape,  on  the  other  side  of  the  slate ;  a  seal  was  also  placed  upon 
the  ends  of  the  tape  at  5 ;  and  two  seals  at  one  corner,  at  the  places 
indicated  by  6  and  7.  The  corner  marked  by  the  arrow  (-*-)  was 
protected  only  by  the  screws  and  seals  at  3  and  4. 

When  the  slate  was  shaken  no  sound  of  the  rattling  of  the  pencil 
was  heard — a  pencil-scrap  having  been  enclosed  as  usual  in  the  slate 
when  it  was  sealed.  The  Medium  had  declared  that  the  pencil  was 
gone,  but  said  she  did  not  know  whether  there  was  writing  on  the  slate 
or  not. 

The  seals  were  first  examined  and  declared  intact. 

Then  Dr.  Leidy  pushed  a  thin  knife-blade  between  the  slates  at  the 
unprotected  corner,  marked  by  the  arrow  on  the  sketch. 

Then  Mr.  Sellers  pushed  in  a  thick  knife-blade  a  little  to  one  side  of 


51 

Dr.  Leidy's.  (The  exact  place  is  marked  on  the  rim  of  the  slate  itself.) 
Both  the  blades  were  thrust  straight  in — Dr.  Leidy's  exactly  at  the 
corner,  and  Mr.  Sellers's  at  the  point  marked,  and  neither  of  them  was 
worked  about  between  the  slates. 

The  slates  were  thus  separated  by  the  thick  knife-blade  about  one- 
tenth  of  an  inch. 

The  seals  were  not  broken  by  this. 

While  the  slates  were  thus  separated,  it  was  noticed  that  the  wood 
was  discolored  and  rubbed  glossy  on  the  sides  of  the  crack. 

Mr.  Sellers  then  removed  the  tape,  seals  and  screws. 

The  slate  being  opened,  no  pencil  was  found  and  no  pencil-marks 
appeared  on  the  slate. 

The  rims  were  worn  smooth  and  blackened  at  the  corner  where  the 
slates  could  be  separated ;  this  was  very  distinct. 

Some  soap-stone  dust,  which  Dr.  Koenig  identified  under  a  micro- 
scope as  the  same  with  a  remaining  fragment  of  the  pencil  inserted 
(which  Mr.  Furness  had  preserved),  was  found  rubbed  into  the  same 
corner,  showing  that  the  slates  had  been  separated  and  the  piece  of 
pencil  worked  out. 

Mr.  Furness  then  produced  three  slates  of  the  same  sort  (with 
hinges,  and  about  8  in.  by  6.)  to  be  used  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  Slade. 
They  were  screwed  up  with  a  bit  of  pencil  inside,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Commission.  Each  was  marked  on  the  inside  by  Mr.  Sellers,  with 
a  scratch  from  a  diamond.  To  Mr.  Furness  was  delegated  the  work 
of  sealing  them.  [As  Dr.  Slade,  however,  refused  to  use  any  of  our 
sealed  slates,  our  labor  was  wasted.] 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


The  following  is  a  stenographic  report  of  a  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mission, to  consider  the  reports  offered  by  several  members  of  seances 
with  Dr.  Henry  Slade,  who  came  to  Philadelphia  to  meet  the  Com- 
mission. As  he  refused  to  sit  with  more  than  three  of  the  Commission 
at  a  time,  it  was  necessary  to  visit  him  in  sections.  Arrangements 
had  been  made  to  have  all  the  members  sit  with  him  in  turn,  but  it 
was  soon  decided  that  continuity  of  observation  was  valuable,  and 
certain  members  were  appointed  to  do  the  whole  work. 


52 

(A  record  from  the  notes  of  the  Stenographer,  Mr.  J.  I.  Gilbert.) 

Philada.,  February  7th,  1885. 

A  formal  session  of  the  Seybert  Committee  was  held  to-day  at  8 
o'clock  p.m.,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Furness,  No.  222  West  Wash- 
ington Square. 

The  session  was  devoted  to  consideration  of  the  seances  held  with 
Dr.  Henry  Slade,  from  January  21st  to  January  28th  inclusive. 

The  following  is  a  compilation  of  written  notes  and  verbal  comments 
upon  the  seances  by  members  of  the  Committee : 

Mr.  Coleman  Sellers  (referring  to  notes)  : 

The  Committee  met  on  January  21st,  1885,  at  the  Girard  House, 
Philadelphia,  in  Room  24. 

There  were  present :  Messrs.  Thompson,  Sellers  and  Furness,  of  the 
Committee,  and  the  Medium,  Dr.  Henry  Slade. 

The  seance  was  conducted  at  a  pine  table  prepared  by  the  Medium, 
which  was  supplied  with  two  falling  leaves  and  stationed  at  a  point 
remote  from  the  centre  of  the  room,  and  contiguous  to  a  wall  of  the 
apartment.  Upon  the  table  were  two  ordinary  writing  slates  and 
fragments  of  slate  pencils. 

The  relative  positions  of  the  Medium  and  the  Committee  were  as 
follows:  the  Medium  was  seated  in  the  space  between  the  table 
and  the  wall.  Professor  Thompson  occupied  a  chair  at  the  side  of  the 
table  to  the  right,  and  Mr.  Furness  one  at  the  side  to  the  left  of  the 
Medium.  Mr.  Sellers  was  seated  at  the  side  directly  opposite  to  the 
Medium. 

After  calling  attention  to  the  slates  and  the  pencil  pieces,  the 
Medium  remarked  that,  as  his  baggage  had  not  come  to  hand,  he  was 
apprehensive  that  the  sitting  would  not  be  a  very  good  one.  A  brief, 
general  conversation  followed,  and  then,  complying  with  a  direction  of 
the  Medium,  all  present  joined  hands  upon  the  table.  Thereupon  the 
Medium  abruptly  started  back,  and,  remarking  that  he  had  received  a 
very  severe  shock  of  some  kind,  inquired  whether  the  gentlemen 
present  had  not  experienced  a  like  sensation.  The  responses  were  in 
the  negative. 

The  Medium  next  proposed  to  give  an  exhibition  of  "  Spiritism  " 
through  the  agency  of  communications  invisibly  written  upon  the 
apparently  blank  surface  of  one  of  the  slates.  At  this  point  Mr. 
Sellers  asked  that  the  table  be  examined,  and,  with  the  assent  of  the 
Medium,  an  examination  was  accordingly  made  by  the  Committee; 
the  only  noteworthy  result  of  which  was  the  discovery  immediately 


53 

beneath  the  table-top  of  openings  or  slots  into  which  the  bars  support- 
ing the  table  leaves  entered  when  turned  to  permit  the  lowering  of 
the  leaves. 

(Mr.  Sellers  here  continued,  without  reference  to  notes) : 

These  slots  and  the  use  to  which  I  ascertained  they  might  be 
applied  are  worthy  of  special  comment,  as  they  played  a  very  import- 
ant part  in  all  the  expositions  that  were  made  of  the  Medium  Slade's 
manifestations.  The  slot  under  the  table  into  which  the  vibrating  bar 
passed  when  the  leaf  was  lowered  was  an  inch  and  a-quarter  in  depth. 
At  a  later  period  of  the  meeting,  when  the  opportunity  was  afforded, 
I  took  the  slate  in  my  hand,  and,  from  the  table  side  at  which  I  was 
seated  (the  one  directly  opposite  the  Medium's  position)  passed  it  into 
the  slot,  allowing  it  to  rest  there  diagonally.  Upon  removing  my  hand 
the  slate  remained  suspended  in  its  place,  and  in  a  position  in  which 
it  could  conveniently  be  written  upon.  I  may  add  that  this  arrange- 
ment of  the  slate  is  said  to  be  an  essential  feature  of  Slade's  favorite 
method  of  writing.  The  Medium  did  not  fail  to  notice  my  experi- 
ment of  passing  the  slate  into  the  slot,  and,  upon  the  occasion  of  my 
second  attendance  at  the  "manifestations"  (which  was  at  the  third 
meeting  of  the  Committee),  having  dispensed  with  the  table  I  have 
described  and  prepared  another,  he  somewhat  ostentatiously  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  table  then  produced  contained  no  slots 
such  as  those  of  which  I  have  spoken.  I  have  a  memorandum  of  the 
size  of  the  slots.  The  dimensions  of  the  table  last  referred  to  are 
given  in  Mr.  Fullerton's  report. 

(Mr.  Sellers,  referring  again  to  his  notes) : 

Taking  a  slate  in  his  hand  Slade  held  it  beneath  the  table  leaf  to 
his  right,  when  almost  immediately  there  was  a  succession  of  faintly 
audible  sounds  such  as  would  have  been  made  by  writing  on  the 
slate  under  the  table.  A  knock  indicated  that  the  writing  had  ceased. 
The  Medium  then  attempted  to  withdraw  the  slate,  but  in  this 
encountered  a  seeming  resistance,  and  only  succeeded  by  a  jerk,  as  if 
wrenching  the  slate  from  the  grasp  of  a  strong  person  who  was  below 
the  table.  Upon  the  slate,  which  was  at  once  inspected,  appeared  in 
a  fair,  running  handwriting,  and  as  if  written  with  a  pencil  held 
firmly  in  hand,  the  following: 

"My  friends, 

Look  well  to  the  truth  and  learn  wisdom,  I  am  truly 

James  Clark." 


54 

(Continuing,  without  reference  to  notes)  : 

This  writing  differed  entirely,  in  general  appearance,  from  the  sub- 
sequent writings  upon  the  slate,  having  apparently  been  made  with 
the  rounded  point  of  a  pencil  held  in  an  easy  and  natural  position  for 
writing.  In  other  instances  the  writings  had  a  strained  and  artificial 
appearance,  and  had  evidently  been  made  with  a  pencil  point  which 
had  been  flattened  before  being  used. 

Professor  Thompson  (to  Mr.  Sellers)  :  Do  you  remember  that  at 
the  session  of  which  you  now  speak  the  Medium  denied  having  any 
knowledge  of  James  Clark,  and  afterwards  said  that  he  did  know  of 
him  ? 

Mr.  Sellers :  I  remember  distinctly  that  he  said  he  knew  nothing  of 
James  Clark's  affairs,  and  that,  on  another  day,  he  presented  a  com- 
munication from  a  William  Clark. 

(Mr.  Sellers  here  resumed  his  reading  from  notes,  as  follows)  : 

The  writing  was  obliterated  from  it  and  the  slate  again  held  under 
the  table,  when  the  question  wTas  asked,  "  Will  you  do  more."  An 
interval  of  perhaps  one  or  two  minutes  elapsed  when  the  slate  was 
exhibited,  and  upon  it  appeared  the  word  "  Yes."  The  word  had  been 
written  with  a  broad-ended  pencil,  and  neither  in  style  nor  character 
resembled  the  first  writing. 

Mr.  Sellers,  complying  with  the  Medium's  request  to  write  a  ques- 
tion on  the  back  of  the  slate,  wrote  "  Do  you  know  the  persons 
present  ?"     The  response  which  was  made  to  this  was  "  Yes,  we  do." 

No  additional  manifestations  by  writings  were  made  at  the  first 
meeting.  During  the  sitting  many  raps  were  produced  on  the  table 
through  some  invisible  agency,  and  as  these  sounds,  in  some  instances, 
were  such  as  could  be  made  by  simple  means  and  at  the  command  of  a 
person  sitting  at  the  table,  a  member  of  the  Committee  reproduced  the 
sounds.  It  was  the  conviction  of  the  members  of  the  Committee 
present  that  the  sounds  thus  produced  were  similar  to  the  sounds  said 
to  have  been  made  by  Spirits.  The  Medium,  however,  professed  his 
ability  to  distinguish  between  the  two  classes  of  sounds,  and  remarked 
that  some  of  the  sounds  heard  by  him  were  such  as  wrould  be  made  by 
a  person  touching  the  table  and  causing  it  to  make  the  raps  ;  that  such 
sounds  were  not  from  the  Spirits ;  that  when  the  raps  were  genuine 
they  caused  a  peculiar  sensation,  a  sort  of  tremor,  in  his  breast,  and, 
therefore,  he  could  tell  when  the  raps  were  spurious. 

(Mr.  Sellers,  aside) :  In  other  words,  that  none  were  genuine 
but  those  made  by  himself. 

(Resuming,  from  notes)  :    The  Medium,  in  answer  to  inquiries,  gave 


55 

a  detailed  description  of  the  remarkable  phenomena  said  to  have  been 
produced  in  the  presence  of  Professor  Zoellner — which,  he  said,  were  as 
unexpected  to  himself  (Slade)  as  they  were  to  any  one;  that  they  were 
beyond  his  control,  and  evidently  the  work  of  Spirits  under  very 
favorable  conditions. 

Mr.  Sellers  here  read  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  January  22d, 
1885,  as  prepared  by  Professor  Fullerton. 

(The  minutes  are  as  follows)  : 

The  Committee  met  on  Thursday,  January  22d,  1885,  at  12  m.,  in  the 
Girard  House,  Philadelphia. 

Present:  Messrs.  Thompson,  Furness,  Fullerton  and  the  Medium, 
Henry  Slade. 

A  table  measuring  five  or  four  and  a-half  by  three  feet,  was  used 
by  the  Medium.  It  was  an  oval  table  with  two  leaves.  The  Medium 
sat  at  one  side,  with  Mr.  Furuess  at  the  end  of  the  table  to  his  left, 
Professor  Thompson  at  the  end  to  his  right,  and  Mr.  Fullerton  opposite. 
A  circle  was  first  formed  by  joining  hands  upon  the  table. 

A  slate  was  passed  to  Mr.  Fullerton  by  the  Medium,  with  the 
request  that  it  be  held  by  him  under  the  table  leaf  to  his  (Mr. 
Fullerton's)  left.  The  slate  was  held  by  Mr.  Fullerton  as  requested, 
but  at  no  time  during  the  sitting  wTas  any  writing  produced  on  the 
slate.  Toward  the  close  of  the  seance  the  slate  was  held  for  some 
time  under  the  opposite  table  leaf  by  Messrs.  Furness  and  Fullerton. 

Dr.  Slade,  after  cleaning  a  slate,  held  it  under  the  table-leaf  to  his 
right,  in  the  space  between  himself  and  Professor  Thompson.  The 
slate  was  not  held  close  to  the  table,  but  in  a  slanting  position, 
so  that  a  space  of  perhaps  four  or  five  inches  was  left  between 
the  edge  of  the  slate  farthest  removed  from  the  table  and  the  table 
itself.  A  piece  of  peDcil,  broken  from  a  small  pencil — about  l-16th  to 
1-1 2th  in.  cross  section,  was  laid  on  the  slate. 

A  series  of  questions  were  here  propounded,  in  each  instance  the 
inquiry  being  followed  by  a  scratching  sound,  and  the  slate  being  then 
withdrawn  from  under  the  table  and  showing  writing  upon  it.  These 
writings  were  construed  as  responses. 

The  questions  and  answers  were  as  follows : — 

1.  It  was  asked:  Will  the  Spirits  answer  questions? 
Ans.  (as  above).     'We  will  try.' 

2.  Is  the  gentleman  opposite  a  Medium  ?     (Mr.  Fullerton.) 
Ans.  He  has  some  power. 

3.  Are  there  more  Spirits  than  one  present? 
Ans.  Yes,  there  is. 


56 

4.  Another  communication  which  appeared  on  the  slate  was  '  we  will 
do  more  soon.' 

5.  Ques.  Do  you  move  this  pencil? 
Ans.  We  do,  of  course. 

6.  Tell  us  if  you  will  play  the  accordion,  or  try  to  to-day? 
Ans.  Yes. 

The  accordion  (a  small  one)  was  then  held  partly  under  the  leaf  of 
the  table,  where  the  slates  had  been.  It  played  a  little.  The  members 
of  the  Commission  could  not  see  it  when  in  that  position,  or  at  least 
could  not  see  the  whole  of  it.  Mr.  Fullerton,  by  looking  under  Pro- 
fessor Thompson's  arm,  over  the  table,  could  occasionally  catch  a 
glimpse  of  it  as  Dr.  Slade  moved  it  to  and  fro,  but  saw  only  one  corner. 

Dr.  Slade  then  marked  a  slate  with  a  line,  and  laid  one  of  the  bits 
of  pencil  upon  the  line.  A  large  slate  pencil  was  then  laid  along  the 
edge  of  the  slate.  The  slate  was  placed  below  the  edge  of  the  table 
beside  Dr.  Slade  (to  his  right,  as  usual)  when  the  large  pencil  was 
thrown  up  into  the  air  two  and  a-half  or  three  feet  above  the  table. 

When  the  slate  was  brought  up  into  view  again  the  small  bit  of 
pencil  was  still  in  its  place.  This  would,  of  course,  be  nothing  remark- 
able if  the  Medium's  finger  were  upon  the  small  bit  of  pencil  at  the 
time  of  the  jerk. 

Another  slate  was  held  by  Dr.  Slade  on  the  same  side  of  and  below  the 
table  (as  far  as  I  could  judge  from  his  arm  it  was  nearly  as  low  as  Dr. 
Slade's  knee),  and  it  was  suddenly  broken  into  many  pieces,  the  frame 
being  at  once  held  up  for  inspection  by  Dr.  Slade.  It  did  not  seem  to 
have  been  broken  against  the  table,  as  there  was  no  shock  felt  in  the 
table,  nor  did  the  sound  indicate  it.  It  might  have  been  broken  by  a 
sudden  blow  upon  the  knee,  as  Dr.  Slade's  knees  were  in  close  proximity 
to  the  place  where  the  slate  was  held. 

[The  following  are  Notes  of  points  which  Mr.  Sellers  asked  me  par- 
ticularly to  observe. — G.  S.  F.] 

Note  1. — The  bits  of  pencil  placed  upon  the  slates  seemed  to  be  used 
in  writing,  for  pieces  with  sharp  edges  were  broken  and  put  on  the 
slates  and  afterwards  were  found  somewhat  worn. 

Note  2. — They  were  apparently  the  same  pieces,  as  the  size  was  the 
same. 

Note  3. — The  writing  did  not  seem  to  have  been  done  by  drawing 
the  slate  over  a  pencil  at  the  time  that  the  scratching  was  heard,  for 
the  slate  was  partly  in  view,  and  though  it  moved  somewhat,  it  did  not 
then  move  enough  to  make,  for  example,  a  line  the  whole  length  of 
the  slate,  as  was  done  in  one  instance. 


57 

Note  4. — The  pencil  was  found  where  the  writing  ended,  and  in  the 
case  of  the  line  cited  just  above,  the  mark  on  the  slate  was  just  about 
as  wide  as  the  rubbed  part  of  the  pencil.  The  pencil  was  rubbed  and 
the  end  had  been  flat. 

Note  5. — I  did  not  notice  any  difference  in  the  fineness  of  the 
earlier  and  later  writings.  The  first  communication  began  and  ended 
with  a  strong  broad  line. 

Note  6. — The  accordion  was  a  small  one,  and  I  cannot  say  whether 
it  might  not  have  been  played  upon  with  one  hand  if  grasped  in  the 
right  way. 

Note  7. — In  every  case,  what  was  done  was  done  out  of  our  sight, 
Dr.  Slade  declaring  that  the  object  in  concealing  the  slates,  etc.,  was  to 
prevent  our  wills  from  having  a  negative  effect  upon  the  phenomena. 
My  own  position  opposite  the  Medium  was  a  very  bad  one  for  observ- 
ing what  was  going  on  on  his  side  of  the  table. 

(Mr.  Sellers  here  read,  from  notes  taken  by  himself,  the  minutes  of 
the  third  of  the  series  of  Slade  seances,  as  follows) : 

The  Committee  met  on  January  23d,  1885,  at  the  Girard  House, 
Philadelphia,  in  Room  24. 

There  were  present:  Messrs.  Thompson,  Sellers  and  Furness,  of  the 
Committee,  and  the  Medium,  Dr.  Henry  Slade. 

The  Medium  was  seated  in  the  space  between  the  table  and  the  wall. 
Professor  Thompson  occupied  a  chair  at  the  side  of  the  table  to  the 
right,  and  Mr.  Furness  one  at  the  side  to  the  left  of  the  Medium.  Mr. 
Sellers  was  seated  at  the  side  directly  opposite  to  the  Medium. 

The  table  made  use  of  on  this  occasion  was  much  larger  than  the 
one  used  at  the  first  meeting.  Attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that 
there  were  no  slots  under  the  middle  leaf  of  the  table  as  there  were  in 
the  other  table. 

Between  the  leaf  and  the  centre  of  the  table  paper  had  been  intro- 
duced for  the  purpose  of  stuffing  the  crack,  a  rather  large  one,  and  the 
explanation  of  the  Medium  was,  'This  is  to  stop  a  sort  of  draft  that 
comes  up  through  the  crack  and  breaks  the  connection.'  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee  were  inclined  to  think  that  the  purpose  was 
to  prevent  them  from  observing  through  the  crack  any  manipulations 
of  the  slate  or  motions  by  the  Medium  under  the  table. 

The  first  writing  on  the  slate  was,  '  We  will  do  all  we  can.' 

By  request  of  the  Medium,  a  slate  with  a  bit  of  pencil  was  then  held 
by  Mr.  Sellers  under  the  table  leaf  next  to  him  on  his  left,  when  the 
question  was  put,  '  Will  you  try  to  write  on  the  slate  held  by  the 
gentleman  opposite.'      The  response,  '  We  will  try,'  was   written  on 


58 

the  Medium's  slate.  After  taking  the  slate  in  his  hand  and  cleanly 
wiping  it,  the  Medium  passed  it  under  the  table  leaf,  when  almost  in- 
stantly sounds  indicating  writing,  such  as  were  audible  at  the  first 
session,  were  repeated.  Upon  being  exhibited  the  slate  contained  the 
following : 

My  friends, — 
Paul's  injunction  was  "add  to  your  faith  knowledge."     this  knowl- 
edge, has  encouraged  the  desponding,  and  given  comfort  to  the  mourner, 

and  gives  hope  to  the  Hopeless.     I  am  truly 

William  Clark. 

The  appearance  of  this  writing  was  much  the  same  as  that  of  the 
first  day,  when  another  long  written  communication  was  produced, 
but  it  bore  no  resemblance  to  the  scrawls  which  were  exhibited  in 
answer  to  questions. 

A  special  minute  is  here  made  of  observations  by  members  of  the 
Committee  upon  certain  features  of  the  Medium's  operations,  which 
tended  to  discredit  the  assumption  of  a  supernatural  agency  in  the 
production  of  the  slate  waitings.  In  the  above  instance  a  slate  which 
had  been  noted  as  standing  against  a  leg  of  the  table  and  behind  the 
chair  of  the  Medium,  but  conveniently  within  his  reach,  was  dexter- 
ously substituted  by  the  Medium  for  the  slate  taken  from  the  table 
and  the  one  upon  wThich  ostensibly  writing  was  to  appear.  This  was 
observed  by  one  member.  In  another  instance  a  member  (Mr.  Sellers) 
observed  the  same  substitution,  so  far  as  the  motion  of  the  Medium's 
hand  and  arm  was  concerned.  By  certain  private  marks,  adroitly  ap- 
plied, the  same  member  noted  the  fact  that  the  slate  on  which  the 
writing  was  exhibited  was  not,  as  the  Medium  represented  it  to  be,  the 
same  slate  which  had  been  taken  from  the  table. 

[The  foregoing  note  by  the  Stenographer  is  somewhat  incoherent, 
owing  to  his  unfamiliarity  with  Slade's  seances;  yet  we  prefer  to  let  it 
remain  as  it  is. — G.  S.  F.] 

(Mr.  Sellers  adds,  parenthetically) :  That  is,  I  watched  the  Medium  s 
operations  specially  with  a  view  of  informing  myself  whether  the  slate 
used  in  both  instances  was  the  same. 

(Resuming,  from  notes) :  The  Medium  proposed  that  the  Committee 
should  retain  the  slate  upon  which  the  long  message  appeared.  The 
slate  was  accordingly  retained  by  the  Committee. 

Professor  Thompson  (addressing  Mr.  Sellers) :  Was  not  that  slate  the 
one  that  I  held  at  the  time  referred  to  ? 


59 

Mr.  Sellers :  It  was.  The  slate  was  held  by  you  at  the  same  time 
that  it  was  held  by  the  Medium. 

Professor  Thompson :  Then  there  is  an  additional  fact  to  be  noted  in 
regard  to  it.  That  fact  is  this.  When  the  sounds  indicating  the 
writing  process  had  ceased,  I  endeavored  to  pull  the  slate  away  from 
under  the  table,  but  the  Medium  resisted  my  effort,  and  by  powerful 
exertion  jerked  the  slate  out  toward  himself.  The  substitution  of  one 
slate  for  the  other  was  probably  made  at  this  time,  and  the  slate  so 
substituted  was  then  placed  on  the  table. 

Mr.  Sellers :  That  is  true,  most  assuredly.  I  saw  the  substitution, 
and  Mr.  Furness  also  saw  it  very  plainly.  From  his  position  Mr. 
Furness  saw  the  Medium  take  up  the  other  slate. 

Note. — An  explanation  was  here  made  by  Mr.  Furness  to  the  effect 
that  his  knowledge  of  the  substitution  here  spoken  of  was  inferential, 
but  that  at  another  period  of  the  seance  he  did  distinctly  see  the 
Medium  grasp  an  unused  slate. 

Mr.  Sellers  here  resumed,  from  his  notes: 

The  Medium  then  proposed  to  attempt  the  experiment  of  causing 
the  chair  upon  which  Professor  Thompson  sat,  to  rise  from  the  floor, 
without  external  agency  other  than  that  of  the  hand  of  the  Medium 
on  the  back  of  the  chair.  In  answer  to  the  question,  'Will  you  try  to 
lift  the  chair?'  the  response  was  'Yes.'  Mr.  Sellers,  being  requested  to 
write  a  question  on  the  back  of  the  slate  near  him,  wrote  the  following, 
'What  is  the  time?'  After  some  little  time,  during  which  the  Medium 
furtively  glanced  at  the  slate,  the  answer  was  given,  'A  little  after 
twelve.' 

Upon  being  requested  to  open  his  left  hand  and  hold  it  thus  extended 
in  a  position  beneath  the  top  of  the  table  to  his  left,  Mr.  Sellers  com- 
plied with  the  request,  when  a  slate,  which  had  been  held  by  the 
Medium  under  the  opposite  leaf,  was  passed  across,  and,  after  touching 
Mr.  Sellers's  hand,  fell  to  the  floor.  After  several  repetitions,  the  slate 
was  passed  into  Mr.  Sellers's  hand,  but  the  experiment  was  accompanied 
by  a  motion  of  the  Medium  which  was  evidently  such  as  would  have 
been  made  if  the  Medium  had  passed  the  slate  across  by  his  foot.  [At 
his  seances  Dr.  Slade  wears  slippers,  into  and  out  of  which  he  can 
readily  slip  his  feet. — G.  S.  F.] 

In  answer  to  the  question,  'Are  you  ready  to  lift  the  gentleman?' 
the  response,  in  writing,  was  given,  'Yes.'  Clasping  the  back  of  the 
chair  firmly  with  his  right  hand,  and  approaching  it  close  enough  to 
enable  him  to  place  his  knee  under  the  seat  of  the  chair,  the  Medium, 
after  very  considerable  effort,  caused  the  chair  to  rise  from  the  floor 


GO 

an  inch  or  two.  The  physical  strain  on  the  part  of  the  Medium  was 
evident. 

Professor  Thompson,  having  obtained  the  permission  of  the  Medium, 
wrote  the  following  upon  the  slate, 'Can  a  Spirit,  still  in  the  body, 
write  with  a  slate  pencil  without  touching  the  pencil?'  After  some 
delay,  aud  frequent  surreptitious  glances  at  the  slate  by  the  Medium, 
the  answer  was,  'Yes,  we  can  tell.'  This  trial  not  being  satisfactory, 
the  same  question  was  repeated.  The  answer,  which  was  longer  delayed 
than  the  one  preceding  it,  was,  '  We  can  do  so,  if  the  conditions  are 
favorable.' 

Professor  Thompson  (interposing) :  Do  you  remember  the  Medium's 
remarks  about  the  resistance  of  the  Spirits  ? 

Mr.  Sellers  :  I  do. 

Professor  Thompson:  When  he  was  pushing  and  pulling  the  slate, 
and  meanwhile  looking  at  it — while  moving  it  backward  and  for- 
ward— the  Medium  remarked,  '  There  seems  to  be  some  kind  of  resist- 
ance ;  they  don't  seem  to  know  what  to  make  of  it ' — meaning  that  the 
Spirits  were  making  some  resistance  to  his  moving  the  slate. 

Mr.  Sellers  here  resumed  and  completed  the  reading  of  his  minutes, 
as  follows : 

The  experiment  attempted  on  the  second  day,  of  causing  a  slate 
pencil  to  jump  from  a  slate  without  any  disturbance  of  the  slate,  was 
here  repeated.  A  line  was  drawn  upon  the  slate,  and  upon  this  line 
a  small  bit  of  pencil  was  placed,  the  success  of  the  experiment  depend- 
ing upon  this  small  piece  remaining  immovable  upon  the  line.  After 
several  trials  this  was  accomplished.  The  experiment  of  playing  an 
accordion  beneath  the  table  was  next  made,  and  in  one  instance  the 
top  of  the  instrument  was  thrown  upon  the  table. 

Mr.  Sellers  verbally  made  the  following  addition  to  his  minutes : 

The  response  to  the  question  |)ropounded  by  Professor  Thompson  was 
attended  with  more  than  ordinary  delay.  Upon  hearing  the  response, 
viz. :  '  We  can  do  so  if  the  conditions  are  favorable,'  Professor  Thomp- 
son remarked  that  this  did  not  answer  the  question  at  all. 

Professor  Thompson :  I  made  that  statement  in  regard  to  both  of  the 
responses. 

Mr.  Sellers:  The  statement,  then,  was,  that  neither  of  the  responses 
answered  the  question.  Whereupon  the  Medium  at  once  obliterated 
the  question  from  the  slate,  and  remarked,  '  Well,  that  is  the  best  they 
can  do,'  or  something  of  that  kind,  or,  '  They  cannot  understand  that.' 
The  fact  was  that  the  Medium  did  not  understand  the  question  him- 
self, as  it  was  purposely  a  somewhat  involved  question. 


Gl 

Professor  Thompson :  The  fact  appears  to  have  been  demonstrated 
that  the  Medium  seemed  to  have  no  difficulty  in  catching  the  purport 
of  questions  of  simple  construction  at  a  glance,  and  that  a  question  of 
more  than  average  length,  which  he  could  not  perceive  the  sense  of,  or 
which  was  somewhat  misleading  in  its  terms,  was  not  answered  intelli- 
gently. 

Professor  Thompson  here  further  explained  that,  when  writing  the 
question  spoken  of,  he  concealed  his  hand  from  the  observation  of  the 
Medium.  Mr.  Sellers  here  imitated  the  motions  of  the  body  of  the  Me- 
dium and  the  position  of  his  hands  at  the  time — the  left  resting  on  the 
table,  and  the  right  hand  beneath  the  table,  near  the  slate — after  which 
the  writing  was  displayed. 

Mr.  Sellers  next  presented  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  January 
24th,  as  follows: 

The  Committee  met  on  January  24th,  1885,  At  the  Girard  House, 
Philadelphia,  in  Room  24. 

There  were  present :  Dr.  Leidy,  Mr.  H.  H.  Furness  and  Mr.  Cole- 
man Sellers,  with  the  Medium,  Dr.  Henry  Slade.  Dr.  Leidy  occu- 
pied the  position  previously  held  by  Professor  Thompson,  to  the  right 
of  the  Medium ;  Messrs.  Sellers  and  Furness  were  seated  as  at  the  for- 
mer sittings. 

Slates  were  produced  and  held  as  at  the  previous  seances.  Upon  one 
slate  the  following  interrogatories  and  responses  were  recorded: 

'Spirits,  are  you  ready  to  w7ork?'     Answer:  'Soon.' 

'  Will  you  write  for  the  gentlemen  ?'  Answer :  '  We  are  trying  to 
do  so.' 

At  this  point  the  Medium  substituted  another  slate  for  the  one  which 
he  had  held  in  his  hand,  and  almost  immediately  thereafter,  upon  the 
new  slate  being  placed  under  the  table,  the  sound  of  writing  began  and 
was  carried  on  with  little  interruption.  The  writing  continued  for  a 
very  long  time,  during  which  the  Medium,  removing  his  hand  from 
the  hands  of  the  other  gentlemen,  said,  'You  see  that  if  I  take  my 
hand  away  from  the  circle  and  thus  break  the  circle,  the  sound  of 
the  writing  ceases ;  if  I  place  my  hand  back  again,  the  writing  is  re- 
peated.' The  sound  of  the  writing,  wThich  had  been  temporarily  sus- 
pended, recommenced  when  the  hand  of  the  Medium  returned  to  its 
former  position.  The  Medium  further  stated,  by  way  of  qualifying  his 
statement  on  this  point,  '  If  I  do  not  jerk  it  away  I  can  raise  my  hand  a 
little.'  He  illustrated  his  meaning  by  slightly  elevating  his  hand  and 
withdrawing  it  from  the  other  hands,  at  the  same  time  calling  attention 
to  the  fact  that  the  sounds  of  the  writing  on  the  slate  were  continued. 


62 

This  modification  by  the  Medium  of  his  original  statement  was  re- 
garded as  intended  to  cover  instances  in  which  the  circle  had  been  sur- 
reptitiously broken  by  members  of  the  Committee  without  any  of  the 
results  which  had  been  predicted.  Several  such  breaks  had  been  made 
by  the  writer  (Mr.  Sellers)  unknown  to  any  one  but  himself;  and  the 
Medium,  finally  becoming  aware  of  this  fact,  observed  that  the  circle 
might  frequently  be  broken  a  little  without  any  effect  being  apparent. 

Professor  Thompson :  But  did  not  the  Medium  make  that  statement 
at  the  very  first  seance? 

Mr.  Sellers:  He  stated  that  at  the  first  seance. 

(Resuming,  from  notes) :  The  communication  inscribed  upon  the  slate 
when  beneath  the  table  was  in  the  same  handwriting  as  the  other  long 
communications,  and  was  evidently  written  with  a  sharpened  pencil 
under  favorable  conditions.     It  was  as  follows : 

*  My  friends : 

I  have  been  made  happy  by  the  advent  of  my  dear  wife  into  this 
land  of  souls.  The  name  of  my  dear  wife  is  Ann  Louisa  Tiers,  of  Ger- 
mantown.  Now  wre  shall  part  no  more  by  death,  as  there  is  no  death 
in  this  life. 

My  friends,  never  grieve  because  your  friends  meet  the  change  called 

death,  as  death  is  but  the  blooming  of  the  soul. 

I  am 

John  Tiers.' 

Mr.  Sellers,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry  by  Dr.  Leidy  concerning  the 
identity  of  the  alleged  author  of  the  communication,  here  explained 
that  a  newspaper  advertisement  of  even  date  set  forth  that  Ann  Louisa 
Tiers,  widow  of  John  Tiers,  died  on  the  day  preceding  the  day  of  the 
meeting.  The  advertisement  had  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Furness,  and  it 
appeared  to  furnish  the  foundation  for  w7hat  had  been  imposed  upon  the 
Committee. 

The  slate  used  at  the  meeting  here  referred  to  was  one  wrhich  Mr. 
Furness  saw  substituted,  and  wrhich  the  writer  (Mr.  Sellers)  is  confident 
was  substituted. 

Dr.  Leidy  here  stated  that  the  communication  now  referred  to,  un- 
like all  the  other  communications  of  the  Medium,  which  were  miserable 
little  scrawls  of  a  few  words,  was  a  lengthy  one,  which  covered  the 
entire  slate.  He  felt  convinced  that  the  slate  upon  which  it  was  con- 
tained was  substituted  for  the  other  one  which  the  Medium  ostensibly 
continued  to  use. 


63 

Mr.  Sellers  (resuming  the  reading  of  his  minutes) :  Dr.  Leidy  then 
wrote  on  the  slate  the  following  question,  '  Dr.  Le  Conte — are  you  en- 
gaged now  in  the  study  of  Coleoptera?'  The  slate  was  then  placed 
below  the  table,  and,  after  the  Medium  had  been  observed  to  glance  at 
it  repeatedly,  as  in  the  case  of  former  exhibitions  of  this  kind,  the  slate 
was  finally  reproduced  with  this  answer  written  upon  it,  "  Dr.  L.  C.  is 
not  present.' 

Then  the  experiment  was  repeated  of  drawing  a  line,  laying  a  bit  of 
pencil  on  the  line  and  then  a  pencil  on  the  edge  of  the  slate. 

The  pencil  on  the  edge  of  the  slate  was  tossed  violently  over  the 
table,  passed  over  and  fell  on  the  other  side  of  the  table,  while  the  piece 
of  pencil  on  the  mark  was  not  disturbed. 

Dr.  Leidy :  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  that  throw  was  not  from 
under  the  table,  because  when  the  pencil  went  over,  the  slate  appeared 
on  the  outside  of  the  table.  I  sat  near  the  Medium  and  saw  that  slate 
brought  out  as  the  pencil  went  up. 

Professor  Thompson :  The  Medium  claimed  that  sometimes  the  pencil 
appeared  on  the  side  of  the  table  opposite  to  that  at  which  he  was  sit- 
ting, but  no  such  thing  occurred  in  our  presence.  Would  not  it  be 
advisable,  when  you  say  it  was  thrown  up,  to  add  that  it  was  thrown 
from  the  side  at  which  the  Medium  was  sitting? 

Mr.  Sellers:  In  each  and  every  case. 

Dr.  Leidy  (to  Mr.  Sellers) :  When  the  Medium  gave  you  and  me  a 
slate  to  hold,  he  said  the  Spirits  would  make  a  communication.  We 
held  the  slate  away  from  him  and  there  was  not  at  any  time  a  com- 
munication. 

(Mr.  Sellers  here  resumed,  from  his  notes)  :  The  same  experiment  of 
jerking  the  pencil  over  the  table  was  repeated  with  another  pencil. 
Then,  at  the  suggestion  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  present,  the  Medium 
repeated  the  experiment  made  at  a  former  session,  in  which  a  long  line 
was  drawn  on  the  slate  while  the  slate  was  apparently  held  without 
any  motion.  The  Medium  then  took  one  of  the  slates  in  his  hand 
and  placed  it  below  the  table,  when  it  wTas  suddenly  broken.  As 
he  produced  it,  he  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  slate  seemed 
as  if  broken  from  the  top  downwards.  As  he  brought  it  out,  the  Me- 
dium turned  the  slate  over  and  knocked  it  on  his  knee,  and  in  that  way 
crushed  it  to  pieces.  He  then  turned  it  over  to  show  on  which  side 
the  crushing  took  place.  I  saw  that  as  plainly  as  I  saw  anything.  He 
then  used  a  pencil  and  drew  a  zig-zag  line  across  the  slate.  The  pencil 
was  worn  at  one  end.  The  same  experiment,  which  was  made  when 
Professor  Fullerton  was  present,  was  repeated,  and  it  was  noticed  that 


64 

the  pencil  used  in  drawing  the  line  was  the  identical  one  found  on  the 
slate. 

Dr.  Leidy :  In  that  part  of  the  exhibition  which  purported  to  show 
how,  through  Spiritual  influence,  a  slate  pencil  might  remain  in  contact 
with  a  slate,  the  Medium  took  care  not  to  elevate  the  slate  to  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees.  He  merely  raised  it  to  the  elevation  which  I 
now  indicate.  If  he  had  elevated  it  a  little  more  the  pencil  would 
have  fallen  off. 

Mr.  Sellers  (resuming) :  An  accordion  was  then  played  under  the 
manipulations  of  the  Medium,  after  which  that  gentleman  told  the 
writer  that  he  might  look  under  the  table  and  witness  the  performance 
of  the  instrument.  The  writer  availed  himself  of  this  permission,  but, 
upon  his  looking  below  the  table,  the  musical  sound  ceased,  and  no 
such  sounds  were  heard  during  the  period  in  which  these  observations 
were  continued.  The  Medium  remarked,  "That  is  unaccountable; 
there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  see  it."  Nevertheless,  the  ac- 
cordion did  not  produce  any  sound  wThile  the  writer  was  looking  at  it. 

Professor  Thompson :  There  is  one  point  which  was  suggested  at  an 
earlier  stage  of  the  minutes,  and  which  is,  perhaps,  worthy  of  being 
recorded.  It  is  this.  At  the  time  at  which  the  slate  was  passed  to  the 
hand  of  Mr.  Sellers,  under  the  table,  the  Medium  compelled  me  to  sit 
around  in  a  position  different  from  that  which  I  had  occupied,  in  order 
that,  in  his  operations,  he  could  move  his  arms  and  lower  extremities 
as  freely  as  he  pleased. 

Dr.  Leidy :  My  own  supposition  is  that,  when  he  played  the  accordion 
freely,  the  Medium  made  use  of  a  little  wire  attached  to  a  hook  or 
something  of  that  kind,  which  he  could  hold  by  fastening  it  to  his 
clothing. 

Mr.  Sellers :  His  method  of  manipulating  the  instrument  was  readily 
observable  upon  close  attention.  The  accordion  was  a  small  one  of  the 
kind  which  is  easily  procurable  in  the  market. 

(Resuming,  from  notes)  :  The  next  meeting  of  the  Committee,  which 
was  held  on  January  26th,  at  the  Girard  House,  was  an  exceedingly 
important  one,  because  its  result  was  absolutely  negative.  There  were 
present,  with  the  Medium,  Professor  Thompson,  Mr.  Furness  and  Mr. 
Sellers.  Two  slates  were  lying  on  the  table  behind  him.  The  Medium 
brought  forward  one  of  these,  wiped  it,  laid  a  pencil  on  it,  and  placed  it 
under  the  table,  but  without  any  result.  He  said, "  We  must  make  a  circle 
— that  will  have  better  effect."  He  laid  the  slate  back  upon  the  table. 
We  then  joined  hands,  and,  after  a  time,  thinking  that  there  was  mag- 
netic influence  enough  at  work,  the  Medium  reached  back  and  took  the 


65 

second  slate — not  the  first  one — brought  that  forward  and  put  it  under 
the  table.  Mr.  Sellers  asked  the  Medium,  "  Dr.  Slade,  will  you  allow 
me  to  see  that  slate?"  The  reply  was,  "No,  not  now;  the  conditions 
are  not  favorable."  The  Medium  seemed  rather  embarrassed,  and 
apparently  regretted  his  reply.  He  laid  the  second  slate  back  upon 
the  table,  in  its  former  position,  but  further  back.  We  then  again 
formed  a  circle,  when  he  seemed  to  hesitate  a  moment  as  to  the  better 
course  for  him  to  pursue.  He  then  reached  back,  grasped  the  first 
slate,  and  with  a  sponge  washed  off  both  of  its  sides,  though  there  had 
been  no  writing  upon  either ;  and  then  he  brought  forward  the  second 
slate,  with  the  top  side  upward,  and  washed  that  side,  though  there  was 
no  occasion  for  the  washing,  as  there  was  no  writing  upon  that  side. 
Turning  the  slate  over,  he  began  washing  the  back  of  it  without  show- 
ing the  face  of  the  slate,  and  finally  laid  it  down. 

Mr.  Furness  here  stated  that  he  observed,  at  the  time,  that  the  face 
of  the  slate  contained  writing. 

Professor  Thompson  here  remarked  that  the  Medium  had  evidently 
appreciated  the  fact  that  he  had  been  caught. 

Mr.  Sellers :  That  fact  was  plainly  apparent. 

Mr.  Fullerton  here  remarked  that  at  the  seance  reported  by  him, 
soon  after  the  members  were  seated,  the  Medium  reached  behind  his 
(the  Medium's)  position  to  get  one  of  the  slates  placed  near  him,  and 
accidentally  turned  up  one,  the  back  of  which  was  covered  with  writing, 
whereupon  he  coolly  remarked, '  That  is  the  wrong  slate.'  Mr.  Fuller- 
ton  added  that  he  did  not  at  the  time  think  of  connecting  this  acci- 
dental exposure  with  what  the  Medium  was  then  doing,  and  suggested 
that  possibly  this  exposure  prevented  Dr.  Slade's  use  of  this  method  at 
the  seance  reported  by  him,  as  it  would  seem  that  none  of  the  com- 
munications produced  on  that  occasion  were  of  the  sort  produced  by 
substitution  of  slates. 

Mr.  Sellers :  The  methods  of  this  Medium's  operations  appear  to  me  to 
be  perfectly  transparent,  and  I  wish  to  say  emphatically  that  I  am  aston- 
ished beyond  expression  at  the  confidence  of  this  man  in  his  ability  to 
deceive,  and  at  the  recklessness  of  the  risks  which  he  assumes  in  his  de- 
ceptions, which  are  practiced  in  the  most  barefaced  manner.  The  only 
reason  of  our  having  any  so-called  'manifestations'  under  the  circum- 
stances was  because  of  the  fact  that  the  Committee  had  agreed  in  ad- 
vance to  be  entirely  passive,  and  to  acquiesce  in  every  condition  im- 
posed. At  the  meeting  here  spoken  of,  I  said  to  Dr.  Slade,  '  You  see 
that  we  do  not  attempt  to  exercise  any  deleterious  influence ;  what  we 
want  is  the  truth,  the  simple  truth,  and  we  try  to  exert  no  influence 
5 


66 

which  would  tend  to  impair  the  success  of  your  operations.'  The  reply 
of  the  Medium  was,  'No,  I  know  that  you  do  not;  but  sometimes  the 
Spirits  will  work  and  sometimes  they  will  not  work.'  We  had  no  writ- 
ings in  any  part  of  that  sitting — everything  failed. 

Mr.  Furness :  We  did  not  have  even  raps. 

Mr.  Sellers :  We  did  not  have  even  raps.  There  was  no  sound  of  any 
character ;  the  day  was  absolutely  fruitless  of  any  result.  Disgusted 
with  this  evident  failure,  the  Medium  decided  to  close  the  seance.  He 
was  asked,  among  other  things,  if  he  would  write  on  double  closed-up 
slates.  He  replied  that  he  would  not  write  upon  them  for  the  reason 
that  the  Spirits  had  forbidden  him  to  do  so ;  that  they  had  said  they 
would  not  write  on  sealed  slates,  because  many  tricks  had  been  played 
on  them,  one  of  which  was  the  writing  in  advance  of  foolish  and  obscene 
matter,  which,  when  the  slates  were  opened,  was  attributed  to  the 
Spirits.  I  said  to  him,  'Would  there  be  any  objection  by  the  Spirits 
to  the  use  of  the  slates  if  these  are  brought  here,  opened  and  exhibited 
before  you  prior  to  their  being  used?'  He  replied,  'I  have  been  for- 
bidden to  write  upon  sealed  slates ;  the  Spirits  tell  me  that  if  I  disobey 
them  they  will  not  write  for  me  any  more.' 

Professor  Thompson :  Yes,  I  heard  that  statement,  that  it  was  for- 
bidden to  bring  them  or  to  offer  the  sealed  slates  to  the  Spirits. 

Mr.  Sellers  (resuming  from  notes) :  As  I  have  stated,  the  result  of 
the  meeting  of  the  26th  inst.  was  entirely  negative.  That  on  the  27th 
was  the  last  sitting.  There  were  then  present :  Dr.  Pepper,  Mr.  Fur- 
ness and  Mr.  Sellers — Dr.  Pepper  occupying  the  seat  originally  occu- 
pied by  Professor  Thompson,  to  the  right  of  the  Medium.  All  the 
manifestations  that  were  made  on  that  day  were  so  similar,  as  far  as 
writings  and  questions  were  concerned,  to  those  that  preceded  them 
that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  make  notes  of  them.  Two  or  three 
rather  remarkable  things  occurred.  For  instance,  almost  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sitting,  Dr.  Slade  exhibited  both  sides  of  two  slates  to 
show  that  neither  side  contained  any  writing,  and  then  placed  a  piece 
of  pencil  on  one  slate,  and,  covering  it  with  the  other  one,  held  the 
two  together  between  the  thumb  and  finger  of  his  right  hand,  and 
placed  them  upon  Dr.  Pepper's  shoulder  near  the  back  of  that  gentle- 
man's head.  The  covering  of  slate  answered  the  same  purpose  which 
a  table  would  have  answered,  and  prevented  those  present  from 
observing  the  operation.  He  frequently  repeated  the  words,  'The 
Spirits  will  write  upon  the  slate.'  He  held  the  slate  in  this  position 
for  some  time,  but  there  was  no  writing  upon  it.  He  then  placed  both 
slate3  upon  the  table  before  him,  side  by  side.     Taking  in  his  right 


67 

hand  the  slate  which  was  towards  his  left  hand,  he  placed  a  bit  of  pencil 
upon  it,  held  it  under  the  table,  and  said,  '  Will  the  Spirits  write  upon 
this  slate?'  He  then  added,  'I  feel  a  sort  of  drawing,  a  something 
which  seems  to  pull  the  slate  down  underneath  the  table.  That  often 
occurs.' 

I  may  here  remark  that,  at  the  other  sittings,  the  same  expression 
was  made  use  of  at  times,  accompanied  by  the  thrusting  of  the 
slate  some  distance  under  the  table.  The  statement  was  that  the  slate 
seemed  to  be  drawn  some  distance  over  to  the  person  opposite  the  Me- 
dium. 

A  sound  was  heard,  and  uj:>on  the  Medium  bringing  the  slate  out 
from  under  the  table,  a  zig-zag  line  appeared  upon  the  slate  with  the 
pencil  at  the  end  of  the  line.  The  Medium  remarked,  '  That  is  some- 
thing.' Then  laying  the  slate  upon  the  slate  to  his  right  hand,  with  a 
sponge  wiped  off  the  top  of  it,  but  did  not  show  what  was  on  the  under- 
side of  it.  He  then  placed  his  thumb  beneath  the  slates,  and  turned 
them  in  such  a  way  that  the  left  hand,  or  top  slate,  came  to  be  the  one 
furthest  from  him  as  it  was  held  behind  Dr.  Pepper's  head.  When 
holding  it  in  that  position  for  a  moment,  a  scratching  sound  was  heard 
in  answer  to  the  question,  '  Will  the  Spirits  endeavor  to  write  on  the 
slate  thus  held?'  A  rap  followed  the  sound  of  the  writing.  The  slates 
were  then  taken  down,  and  the  top  slate  taken  off.  Upon  what  had 
previously  been  the  top  slate  was  written  the  words,  '  Yes,  we  will  try.' 

Mr.  Furness  (interposing)  :  That  was  one  of  the  neatest  things  he 
did. 

Mr.  Sellers :  My  habits  of  observation  have  been  trained  in  this 
kind  of  work,  and  I  watched  the  slates  intently  during  the  process. 

Subsequently  certain  raps  were  audible,  when  the  Medium  called 
the  attention  of  Dr.  Pepper  to  the  fact  that  some  of  the  raps  were 
made  upon  the  chair  on  which  the  Doctor  was  seated.  It  was  very 
evident  that  the  raps  were,  in  fact,  made  on  that  chair ;  there  was  no 
doubt  about  that  at  all. 

Throughout  this  entire  sitting  the  Medium  complained  sadly  of  his 
physical  disability.  He  said  that  he  was  afraid  that  he  was  going  to 
lose  the  power  of  his  right  side,  that  he  was  becoming  numb  all 
over.  The  peculiar  symptoms  which  he  described  will  be  reported 
upon  in  the  observations  of  Dr.  Pepper,  by  whom  they  were  noted. 

(Mr.  Furness  here  stated  that  the  notes  of  Dr.  Pepper  would  be 
read  later  in  the  evening.) 

Mr.  Sellers  (continuing) :  The  Medium  did  very  little  more  in 
the  way  of  writing.     He  repeated  some  few  of  the  experiments  previ- 


68 

ously  made,  such  as  the  throwing  off  of  the  pencil.  He  declined  to 
play  upon  the  accordion,  as  the  instrument  had  been  broken. 

At  this  meeting  two  pocket  compasses,  one  brought  by  Mr.  Furness 
and  the  other  by  Mr.  Sellers,  were  placed  at  a  point  near  the  circle  of 
the  hands  in  order  to  observe  whether  any  deflection  from  the  magnetic 
course  occurred.  No  such  result  was  noted.  No  change  whatsoever 
in  the  needles  was  observed  other  than  that  which  was  caused  by  a 
vibration  due  to  shakings  of  the  table.  From  time  to  time  the  Medium 
would  call  attention  to  one  of  the  needles  with  the  remark,  '  There, 
one  of  those  needles  is  moving  now.'  In  point  of  fact,  the  needle  at 
the  time  would  show  no  motion  other  than  that  caused  by  the  jarring 
of  the  table.  The  Medium  went  on  to  say  that  frequently,  under  like 
circumstances,  when  placed  close  together,  he  had  seen  two  needles 
point  around  in  opposite  directions.  This  might  have  been  true,  in 
the  present  instance,  if  the  Medium  had  placed  a  magnet  attached  to 
his  foot  at  a  point  at  which  it  would  have  been  between  the  two 
needles.  Its  effect  would  have  been  just  the  one  which  he  has  described. 
No  such  result  was  noticeable  during  our  observations. 

A  large  part  of  the  sitting  was  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  the 
Zoellner  experiments,  the  Medium  narrating  some  of  the  phenomena 
that  had  been  witnessed  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  Zoellner.  He  said, 
however,  that  Zoellner  was  a  peculiarly  impressible  person,  and  one 
who  had  entire  confidence  in  his  (the  Medium's)  ability. 

Before  the  conclusion  of  the  seance,  the  writer  (Mr.  Sellers)  asked 
the  Medium  if  he  was  acquainted  with  the  methods  of  operation  of  any 
conjurors.  The  Medium  replied  that  he  did  not  know  many  of  them, 
but  he  always  liked  to  have  conjurors  at  his  sittings,  as  they  produced 
a  very  good  influence  upon  him  At  this  point  the  following  colloquy 
ensued : 

Mr.  Sellers :  Do  you  know  a  man  named  Kellar,  who  is  exhibiting 
in  this  city  ? 

Dr.  Slade:  I  do  not.     I  never  knew  him. 

Mr.  Sellers :  You  may,  however,  be  able  to  explain  to  me  a  very 
remarkable  slate-writing  experiment  which  Kellar  has  performed. 
I  will  state  the  details  of  it.  [Mr.  Sellers  here  described  at  length  Mr. 
Kellar's  trick  with  the  fastened  slates,  and  in  concluding,  asked :]  How 
did  Mr.  Kellar  do  that? 

Dr.  Slade:  He  is  a  Medium.    He  does  that  work  precisely  as  I  do  it. 

Mr.  Sellers:  But  can  he  not  do  it  by  trickery? 

Dr.  Slade :  No  it  is  impossible.  He  is  a  Medium,  and  a  powerful 
Medium. 


69 

(Mr.  Sellers  continued  the  reading  of  his  transcript,  as  follows) : 

Then  I  described  to  the  Medium  an  experiment  by  Kellar  in  lifting 
a  table  ostensibly  merely  by  laying  his  hands  upon  it,  and  I  detailed  his 
explanation  of  how  deceptions  might  occur,  his  custom  of  pulling  up 
his  sleeves  and  exhibiting  his  hands  to  the  audience.  I  added,  that 
he  had  done  the  same  thing  with  a  chair. 

Dr.  Slade:  I  do  that  thing,  too.  I  will  show  you  how  I  do  it  the 
next  time.     He  does  it  as  I  do  it.     He  is  a  Medium. 

(Mr.  Sellers  here  paused  to  make  the  following  verbal  explanation) : 

I  pause  here  for  the  express  purpose  of  having  the  fact  noted  that, 
being  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  details  of  the  methods  of  these  ex- 
periments, I  can  positively  assure  the  Committee  that  there  is  no  Me- 
diumistic  power  in  Mr.  Kellar,  so  far  as  his  methods  are  concerned, 
that  those  methods  are  as  easy  of  solution  as  are  any  other  physical 
problems. 

(Resuming,  from  notes) : 

The  inquiry  was  then  addressed  to  Dr.  Slade,  '  Do  you  know  a  man 
named  Guernella  who,  with  his  wife,  gave  seances?'  'Yes/  he  replied, 
1 1  know  him  very  well.'  '  Well,  how  does  he  perform  his  wonderful 
exploits  in  rappings,  etc.  ? '  '  He  is  a  Medium,  a  powerful  Medium. 
I  know  him  very  well  indeed.  I  can  assure  you  that  all  that  he  does 
is  done  solely  by  means  of  his  Mediumistic  powers.' 

I  now  state  to  the  Committee  that  the  Guernellas  exhibited  in  Phila- 
delphia some  years  ago  as  exposers  of  Spiritualism.  They  did  not 
expose  it,  but  they  performed  experiments  which,  prior  to  that  time, 
were  said  to  have  been  accomplished  by  the  aid  of  Spirits.  Guernella 
himself,  at  my  house,  in  my  presence,  in  broad  daylight,  performed  all 
the  feats  and  exhibited  the  phenomena  that  were  produced  at  the  dark 
and  other  seances,  and  he  repeated  them  until  I  myself  became  as 
expert  as  he  in  performing  them ;  for  which  I  paid  him  a  considera- 
tion.    So  much  for  the  Mediumistic  power. 

(Resuming,  from  notes) : 

Before  the  close  of  this  last  seance,  a  letter  was  read  to  Dr.  Slade 
by  Mr.  Furness,  to  which  the  Medium  was  requested  to  make  reply  at 
his  convenience;  the  object  was  to  preserve  evidence  of  the  fact  that 
the  Medium  had  stated  that  all  the  seances  must  be  held  under  his 
conditions — that  if  the  Commitee  deviated  in  the  slightest  degree  from 
the  conditions  imposed  by  him  (Dr.  Slade)  he  would  'pack  up  his  traps 
and  clear  out.'  [The  letter  and  reply  will  be  found  annexed  to  this 
Record.] 

At  the  end  of  this  seance,  the  sum  agreed  upon,  three  hundred  dol- 


70 

lars,  was  paid  to  the  Medium  in  three  one-hundred-dollar  bills.  He  was 
asked  to  sign  a  receipt  for  that  amount,  but  his  nervousness  was  such  as 
to  make  this  a  task  of  some  difficulty.  He  made  many  attempts  to 
grasp  the  pen  presented  to  him,  but  his  hand  shrank  from  it.  At  last, 
by  a  violent  effort,  and  conquering  the  emotions  that  overcame  him, 
the  Medium  grasped  the  pen  and  wrote  the  receipt.  The  extreme  trepi- 
dation of  Dr.  Slade  was  possibly  due  to  the  unexpected  displacement 
of  two  covered  slates  which  he  had  left  standing  on  the  floor,  resting 
against  the  leg  of  the  small  table  at  his  back,  and  which  Mr.  Furuess 
had  overturned  with  his  foot,  the  result  being  that  at  least  two  of  the 
members  of  the  Committee  were  apprised,  by  the  quantity  of  writing  on 
one  of  the  slates,  that  it  was  ready  for  immediate  use. 

Mr.  Sellers  (aside) :  I  saw  the  writing  on  the  slates.  It  had  manifestly 
been  prepared  for  use  by  the  Medium,  and  up  to  the  moment  of  its 
discovery  had  been  carefully  kept  complete^  covered. 

Mr.  Furness  here  read  to  the  Committee  the  following: 

Before  Dr.  Slade  came  to  Philadelphia  to  meet  this  Commission,  I 
was  told  by  a  valued  Correspondent,  an  eminent  Spiritualist,  that  much 
of  Dr.  Slade's  success  in  Spiritual  manifestations  would  depend  on  the 
way  in  which  he  was  treated,  and  that  he  should  be  met  in  a  cordial, 
friendly  spirit.  As  this  was  but  natural,  and  as  Dr.  Slade's  life  has 
been  passed  among  extraordinary  scenes  the  world  over,  which 
makes  him  an  entertaining  companion,  it  gave  me  pleasure  to  ex- 
tend to  him  what  little  courtesies  lay  in  my  power,  asking  him  to 
dine  with  me  during  his  visit,  and  to  spend  the  evenings  at  my  house, 
if  the  time  hung  heavy  on  his  hands  at  his  hotel.  He  dined  with  me 
several  times,  and  I  consequently  saw  more  of  him  than  did  the  other 
Commissioners.  I  told  him  more  than  once  that,  as  a  Commissioner, 
I  should  watch  him  with  lynx  eyes,  and  he  always  gave  a  laughing  as- 
sent. I  furthermore  never  concealed  from  him  that  he  had,  by  no 
means,  converted  me  to  Spiritualism.  [I  last  saw  him  in  Boston,  when, 
as  I  was  passing  along  Shawmut  Avenue,  I  caught  sight  of  him  at  a  win- 
dow; he  eagerly  beckoned  me  to  come  in,  and,  as  I  settled  myself  in  a 
chair,  I  said  to  him,  'Well,  and  how  are  the  old  Spirits  coming  on?' 
Whereupon  he  laughed  and  replied,  'Oh,  pshaw!  you  never  believed 
in  them,  did  you?'— April,  1887.] 

I  had  several  seances  with  him  in  afternoons  after  the  seances  with 
the  Commission,  when  I  was  accompanied  by  my  mother,  my  sister,  and 
by  several  friends;  of  course,  only  by  one  or  two  others  at  a  time. 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  rehearse  here  at  length  what  Mr.  Sellers 
has  set  before  you  much  better  than  I  can,  the  steps  to  the  conclusion 


71 

to  which  we  all  arrived :  that  the  long  messages  were  written  before- 
hand. The  difference  between  them  and  the  short  answers  to  questions 
asked  at  the  seance,  in  the  character  of  the  handwriting,  is  too  manifest 
and  too  obtrusively  patent  to  be  disregarded.  In  the  long  message 
from  'William  Clark'  on  the  slate  which  we  have  preserved  and  had 
photographed,  '  Paul's  injunction' is  carefully  included  within  quota- 
tion marks.  The  short  answers  to  questions  were  scarcely  legible,  and 
at  times  could  be  deciphered  only  by  help  of  the  Medium  himself. 
(This  illegible  handwriting  is  not  without  its  use ;  it  engrosses  the  at- 
tention of  the  sitters.) 

It  follows,  therefore,  that,  if  prepared  slates  are  to  be  used,  they  must 
be  adroitly  substituted  for  others,  which  the  sitters  know  to  be  clean. 
The  question  is  thus  narrowed  to  one  of  pure  legerdemain,  and  the 
Medium  must  necessarily  have  several  slates  at  hand. 

When  two  slates  only  are  used,  the  prepared  slate  is  usually  lying 
on  the  table  when  the  sitters  take  their  seats.  No  attention  is  called 
to  it,  and  some  little  time  is  taken  in  conversation,  and  in  the  spasmodic 
jerking  caused  by  'electric  currents';  in  a  few  minutes  the  slate  pencil 
is  placed  on  the  slate ;  no  offer  is  made  of  showing  both  sides,  which 
would  be  quite  needless,  since  the  side  which  is  exposed  is  perfectly 
clean,  and  it  is  on  that  side  which  the  Spirits  are  expected  to  write; 
the  slate  is  kept  almost  constantly  and  wholly  in  full  view  and  but 
very  slightly  inserted  beneath  the  table.  After  an  interval  of  waiting, 
during  which,  by  constantly  looking  at  the  slate  as  though  impatient 
for  the  writing  to  begin,  whereby  his  sitters  become  accustomed  to  the 
appearance  and  disappearance  of  the  slate,  the  Medium  reaches  for  a 
second  slate,  ostentatiously  washes  both  sides,  lays  it  on  the  table,  re- 
moves the  pencil  from  the  first  slate  to  the  second,  and  places  over  it 
the  first  slate  with  its  prepared  message,  face  downward,  and  the  trick 
is  done.  The  two  slates  are  held  for  a  minute  under  the  table,  and  are 
then  held  to  the  ear  or  on  the  shoulder  of  the  sitter  on  the  Medium's 
right  hand — never  to  any  other  sitter,  since  to  do  so  would  reveal  the 
scratching  of  the  Medium's  finger-nail  on  the  rim  of  the  slate,  whereby 
the  writing  of  the  pencil  within  the  slates  is  counterfeited.  I  have  dis- 
tinctly, three  or  four  times,  watched  the  motion  of  the  Medium's  finger 
while  thus  scratching;  as  I  sat  facing  the  window  the  fingers  which  held 
the  slate  and  made  the  fictitious  writing  were  sharply  outlined  against 
the  light.  And  here  let  me  say  that  he  who  sits  on  the  Medium's  left 
hand,  the  side  to  which  he  turns  almost  his  full  back,  has  the  best  posi- 
tion for  observation.  He  told  me  many  times  that  he  did  not  like  to 
have  three  sitters,  but  much  preferred  only  two ;  at  the  third  side,  when 


72 

unoccupied,  wonderful  manifestations  occur,  such  as  a  chair's  ele- 
vation, or  being  thrown  down,  or  the  appearance  of  the  unsup- 
ported slate,  etc.  These  manifestations  are  executed  by  the  Medium's 
foot,  and  lest  its  motions  under  the  table  should  be  detected,  the  longi- 
tudinal cracks  where  the  two  table-leaves  join,  were  carefully  stuffed 
with  paper,  although,  to  be  sure,  he  once  explained  to  me  the  presence 
of  this  paper  as  necessary  to  keep  *  the  electricity  from  flowing  through.' 

Although  Dr.  Slade  had  agreed  verbally  in  New  York  that  the  last 
seance  of  the  series  should  be  in  the  presence  of  all  the  Commission,  he 
flatly  refused,  when  in  Philadelphia,  to  hold  any  in  the  presence  of 
more  than  three  at  a  time. 

On  one  occasion,  when  the  Medium  was  very  sure  of  his  sitters,  he 
placed  the  prepared  slate,  face  downwards,  on  the  table,  with  his  fingers 
resting  on  the  upper  surface,  then  in  a  few  minutes  the  slate  was  lifted 
up  and  the  writing  displayed,  as  though  just  made  by  Spiritual  agency. 
Generally,  however,  when  the  writing  is  thus  exhibited,  it  is  in  answer 
to  a  spoken  question,  and  the  reply  is  written  by  the  Medium  in  his  lap 
and  the  slate  turned  over  before  it  is  placed  on  the  table.  Manifestly 
it  cannot  occur  as  an  answer  to  a  written  question,  unless  the  written 
question  is  exposed  on  the  upper  side  of  the  slate. 

How  the  scratching  of  the  slate  pencil  is  produced  when  the  slate  is 
lying  on  the  table  (I  have  been  told  that  the  sound  is  heard  then)  I 
cannot  possibly  explain,  for  the  plain  reason  that  I  am  too  deaf  to  hear 
it,  and  I  was,  therefore,  never  on  the  watch  for  anything  unusual.  (Nor 
did  I  ever  hear  the  sound  of  writing  when  the  slate  was  held  on  the 
shoulder  of  my  opposite  neighbor,  but  I  could  see,  and  I  knew  what 
was  going  on,  for  the  slate  had  once  been  placed  on  my  own  shoulder.) 

When  three  slates  are  used,  the  third,  and  prepared,  slate,  is  either 
on  the  little  table  behind  him  or  on  the  floor  resting  against  the  sup- 
ports of  this  little  table.  In  either  case  he  seizes  the  opportunity 
when  his  sitters  are  engrossed  with  an  answer  just  given  to  a  question, 
to  substitute  one  of  the  slates  which  he  has  been  using,  and  which  he 
has  just  before  ostentatiously  washed  on  both  sides,  for  the  prepared 
slate.  This  I  have  distinctly  seen  him  do  twice,  and  once  when  I  had 
arisen  from  my  seat  to  read  an  answer  on  the  slate,  held  by  Mr.  Sellers, 
I  noticed  when  I  resumed  my  seat  that  a  certain  slate  which  I  had  been 
watching  was  gone  from  where  it  had  been  resting  against  the  leg  of  the 
little  table,  and  we  then  immediately  had  the  long  message  between 
closed  slates.  [This  was  the  '  inferential '  substitution  referred  to  on 
page  59  of  this  Appendix.]  The  slate  which  we  have  preserved  and 
had  photographed  I  saw  him  take  from  the  table  at  his  back. 


73 

Next,  as  to  his  answers  to  questions.  I  became  so  familiar  with  his 
methods  in  this  department  that  I  could  have  told  at  almost  any 
instant  what  he  was  doing. 

After  the  question  has  been  written  the  slate  is  handed  to  him  face 
downward.  A  piece  of  pencil  is  then  placed  on  the  slate  near  the  edge 
of  the  slate  farthest  from  the  Medium's  hand  as  it  holds  the  slate ;  of 
course,  as  the  writing  is  to  be  done  under  cover  of  the  table,  and  as  the 
Medium's  hand  or  wrist  is  supposed  to  be  always  visible,  the  pencil  must 
be  far  under  the  table.  The  awkwardness,  therefore,  must  be  overcome 
of  having  to  reach  or  grope  after  it  before  the  slate  can  be  turned  over, 
which  it  must  be  in  order  to  enable  the  Medium  to  read  the  question  on 
the  under  side.  This  difficulty  is  surmounted  by  constantly  bringing  out 
the  slate  and  looking  at  it  to  see  if  any  answer  has  appeared.  By  this 
manoeuvre  a  double  end  is  attained ;  first,  it  creates  an  atmosphere  of 
expectation,  and  the  sitters  grow  accustomed  to  a  good  deal  of  motion  in 
the  arm  that  holds  the  slate ;  and  secondly,  by  constantly  moving  the  slate 
the  fragment  of  pencil  (which,  be  it  noted,  having  been  extracted  from 
those  slate  pencils  which  are  enclosed  in  wood,  like  lead  pencils,  is 
square  in  shape  and  remains  stationary  on  the  spot  to  which  it  is 
moved),  this  pencil,  I  repeat,  is  moved  up  to  the  side  of  the  slate  within 
reach  of  a  thumb  and  finger ;  when  this  is  done,  it  is  dexterously  seized 
by  the  Medium,  who  is  in  turn  at  that  instant  seized  by  violent '  electric 
shocks/  under  cover  of  which  the  slate  is  turned  and  generally  placed 
between  his  knees,  only  once  I  think  did  he  rest  it  on  his  knee,  and 
once  I  think  he  pressed  it  against  the  table ;  then  he  reads  the  question. 
And  here  he  shows  his  nerve.  It  is  the  critical  instant  of  the  sitting, 
it  is  the  only  instant  when  his  eyes  are  not  fastened  on  his  sitters,  and 
I  confess  that  his  coolness  won  my  admiration.  On  one  occasion,  when 
the  question  was  written  in  a  back-hand  with  a  very  light  stroke  and 
close  to  the  upper  edge  of  the  slate,  he  looked  at  it  three  several  times 
before  he  could  read  it.  Moreover,  it  was  a  question  out  of  the 
common,  relating  to  the  species  of  a  hawk  and  not  to  a  Spirit,  and 
required  an  intelligent  and  definite  answer.  The  hastiness  of  his 
reading  may  be  inferred  by  the  frequency  with  which  merely  the 
initials  of  the  Spirit  friend  are  given  in  the  answer.  After  reading 
the  question,  I  noticed  that  Dr.  Slade  winks  rapidly  three  or  four 
times  in  a  sort  of  mental  abstraction,  I  suppose,  while  thinking  out  an 
answer,  but  he  always  breathes  freer  when  this  crisis  is  passed,  and 
the  violent  convulsions  are  over,  which  attend  his  hurried  writing  and 
the  re-turning  of  the  slate.  His  eyes  can  now  be  fixed  in  turn  on  each 
of  his  sitters,  and  he  can  rest  a  minute  or  two.     (One  one  occasion  I 


74 

saw  the  slate  as  he  held  it  between  his  index  and  second  finger,  his 
index-finger  and  thumb  held  the  slate  pencil.)  Presently,  the  slate  is 
held  near  to  the  edge  of  the  table,  and  a  tremulous  motion  is  given  to  it 
as  though  the  writing  were  then  going  on. 

On  one  occasion,  when  I  knew  he  was  about  to  use  the  prepared 
slate  (Professor  Thompson  will  remember  what  I  am  about  to  relate), 
I  suggested  that  we  should  use  a  perfectly  fresh  pencil,  so  that  we 
could  be  sure  that  that  very  pencil  had  done  the  writing.  I  was 
very  curious  to  know  how  he  would  evade  the  test.  The  slate  was 
held  close  to  the  under  side  of  the  table  (the  new  pencil  debarred 
him  from  using  the  double  slate) ;  when  the  writing  was  finished  the 
slate  was  slapped  violently  against  the  table,  and  was  drawn  from  under- 
neath it — apparently  with  very  great  difficulty,  and  almost  perpen- 
dicularly— and  the  little  pencil,  of  course,  slipped  off,  and  in  the 
excitement  of  reading  the  message  from  the  '  Summer-land,'  who  would 
think  of  looking  for  the  pencil  ?  It  was  so  clever  I  wanted  to  applaud 
him  on  the  spot. 

The  other  tricks,  such  as  tossing  the  pencil  from  the  slate  and  playing 
the  accordion,  can  be  perfectly  explained  and  repeated  by  Mr.  Sellers. 
Dr.  Slade's  fingers  are  unusually  long  and  strong,  and  the  accordion, 
which  has  but  four  bellows-folds,  can  be  readily  manipulated  with  one 
hand. 

At  our  last  seance  I  noticed  what  were  evidently  two  prepared  slates 
resting  against  the  support  of  the  table  behind  him,  where  his  prepared 
slates  usually  stood.  I  inferred  that  he  would  like  to  have  some  ex- 
traordinary slate  writing  on  this  occasion,  and,  therefore,  kept  a  sharp 
watch  on  these  slates.  Unfortunately  it  was  too  sharp,  for  one  second 
the  Medium  saw  me  looking  at  them.  It  was  enough.  That  detected 
look  prevented  the  revelation  of  those  elaborate  Spirit  messages.  But 
when  the  seance  wras  over  and  he  was  signing  the  receipt  for  his  money, 
I  passed  round  behind  his  chair  and  pushed  these  slates  with  my  foot 
so  as  to  make  them  fall  over,  whereupon  the  writing  on  one  of  them 
was  distinctly  revealed. 

I  think  Dr.  Pepper  and  Mr.  Sellers  will  recall  how  the  Medium 
instantly  pushed  his  chair  back  until  it  was  fairly  over  the  slates  and 
then  snatched  them  up,  and  in  the  most  hurried  manner  washed  them 
both  while  turning  his  back  to  us. 

Two  compasses,  which  we  placed  on  the  table  during  our  seance,  re- 
mained unaffected  by  the  Medium's  presence. 

During  one  sitting,  when  the  Spirits  conveyed  the  slates  from  the 
Medium's  hand  under  the  table  to  the  hand  of  the  opposite  sitter,  the 


75 

latter  failed  twice  to  grasp  the  slate  in  time,  and  it  fell  to  the  floor  with 
a  crash.  Each  time  it  behoved  me  to  pick  up  the  slate  (both  the  other 
sitters  were  women),  but  the  second  time  I  stooped  with  the  greatest 
alacrity  and  looked  not  at  the  slate  but  at  the  Medium's  foot,  which  I 
saw  just  entering  his  slipper,  into  which  it  most  hastily  settled. 

I  think  Dr.  Slade's  personal  appearance  noteworthy,  and  shall  en- 
deavor to  obtain  a  photograph  of  him  for  preservation  in  our  Records. 
He  is  probably  six  feet  in  height,  with  a  figure  of  unusual  symmetry, 
his  hands  are  large  but  shapely,  the  nail  of  the  second  finger  of  his  right 
hand  is  rather  longer  than  the  others,  and  appeared  in  the  centre  to  be 
slightly  split  and  worn.  His  face  would,  I  think,  attract  notice  any- 
where for  its  uncommon  beauty.  He  has  a  small,  curling,  dark  mous- 
tache, and  short,  crisp,  iron-grey  hair,  of  a  texture  exceeding  in  fine- 
ness any  that  I  have  ever  seen  on  a  man's  head.  His  eyes  are  dark, 
and  the  circles  around  them  very  dark,  but  their  expression  is  painful. 
I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the  feeling  that  it  was  that  of  a  hunted 
animal  or  of  a  haunted  man.  The  color  on  his  cheeks  is  very  bright,  but 
it  is  said  to  be  artificial.  He  complained  bitterly  of  ill-health  and 
of  water  around  his  heart,  which  he  said  at  times  he  could  hear  and 
feel  "  swashing  about." 

A  noteworthy  man  in  every  aspect. 

Mr.  Furness  then  read  to  the  Committee  the  following: 
Memorandum  by  Dr.  Wm.  Pepper  of  an  interview  with  Dr.  Slade 
on  the  morning  of  the  27th  January,  with  Mr.  Furness  and  Mr.  Sellers. 

1811  Spruce  Street,  Philadelphia. 

He  complained  immediately  and  very  frequently  of  his  right  side, 
saying  it  felt  weak  and  numb,  and  he  was  sure  he  was  going  to  be 
paralyzed.  Careful  observation  showed  that  the  right  side  was  fully 
developed,  the  color  of  the  right  hand  normal  and  the  same  as  that  of 
the  left,  and  that  the  right  arm,  foot  and  leg  were  unusually  supple 
and  moveable.  During  the  sitting  I  saw  him  deliberately  kick  my 
chair  three  (3)  times  with  the  side  of  his  right  foot,  while  attracting 
my  attention  to  the  scraping  noises  of  the  slate  he  was  holding  to  my 
left  ear;  and  again,  when  soft  raps  were  heard  and  felt  under  the 
table,  just  beneath  one  of  my  hands,  and  at  about  the  distance  from 
him  to  which  his  leg  would  reach,  I  saw  distinct  movements  of  rota- 
tion of  his  thigh,  as  though  he  were  producing  these  sounds  by  the  ball 
of  the  toe  striking  under  the  table  at  that  point. 

February  6th,  1885. 


76 

Mr.  Sellers  offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted 
unanimously : 

Resolved,  That  the  reports  of  the  Slade  seances  held  in  Philadelphia, 
as  described  by  Messrs.  Fullerton,  Furness,  Pepper  and  Sellers,  are  in 
accordance  with  the  observations  of  each  of  the  members  of  the  Com- 
mission who  were  present. 

After  a  short  Business  Meeting  the  Commission  adjourned. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


The  following  corrrespondence  explains  itself: 

Philadelphia,  January  26th,  1885. 

Dear  Dr.  Slade: — I  think  you  need  no  assurance  that  the  Sey- 
bert  Investigating  Committee  have  been  anxious  to  deal  with  you  in 
the  fairest  spirit  of  impartial,  unbiased,  scientific  investigation,  and  I 
think  you  will  bear  witness  to  their  uniformly  considerate  courtesy 
throughout  our  intercourse. 

You  know  how  very  deaf  I  am,  and  do  not  therefore  need  to  be  re- 
minded that  one  should  trust  scarcely  more  to  what  a  deaf  man  hears 
than  to  what  a  blind  man  sees. 

Wherefore,  I  want  you,  for  my  sake,  and  that  the  Committee  may 
feel  sure  of  their  ground,  to  confirm  in  writing  what  you  have  more 
than  once  said  to  me,  namely,  that  the  Committee  must  conform  to  the 
conditions  which  the  Spirits  impose ;  that  you  cannot  consent  to  sub- 
mit to  any  tests,  and  that  rather  than  do  so  you  will  return  at  once  to 
New  York ;  that  we  must  accept  the  manifestations  as  given  by  the 
Spirits ;  and  that,  since  these  manifestations  are  the  result  of  a  gradual 
growth,  it  is  impossible,  in  the  space  of  six  seances,  to  repeat  or  to  verify 
Professor  Zoellner's  experiments;  and,  lastly,  that,  if  on  your  return  to 
New  York,  the  Spirits  so  authorize  it,  you  will  be  willing,  if  desired,  to 
make  arrangements  for  another  series  of  seances  with  us  of  a  higher 
order  of  manifestations. 

I  remain  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Horace  Howard  Furness, 
Acting  Chairman  Seybert  Commission. 


77 

No.  11  E.  13th  Street,  N.  Y.,  February  4th,  1885. 

Dear  Mr.  Furness  : — I  take  this  opportunity  to  express  to  you, 
and  through  you  to  the  other  members  of  the  Seybert  Commission,  my 
hearty  approval  of  the  course  pursued  by  them  in  their  investigation 
of  phenomena  occurring  in  my  presence.  Fully  realizing  that  I  am 
only  the  instrument  or  channel  through  which  these  manifestations 
are  produced,  it  would  be  presumption  on  my  part  to  undertake  to  lay 
down  a  line  to  be  followed  by  the  unseen  intelligences,  whose  servant 
I  am.  Hence,  I  did  say  their  conditions  must  be  acceded  to  or  I 
would  return  to  New  York.  That  they  did  so,  is  evident  to  my  mind 
from  the  results  obtained,  which  I  regard  as  a  necessary  preliminary 
to  a  continuation,  when  other  experiments  may  be  introduced  with 
better  prospects  of  success.  It  may  be  well  not  to  insist  on  following 
the  exact  course  pursued  by  Professor  Zoellner,  but  leave  it  open  to  origi- 
nal or  impromptu  suggestions  that  may  be  adopted  without  previous 
consideration,  which,  if  successful,  would  be  of  equal  value  as  evidence 
of  its  genuineness,  at  the  same  time  give  greater  breadth  to  the  experi- 
ments. In  conclusion,  allow  me  to  say  that  in  the  event  of  the  Com- 
mittee desiring  to  continue  these  experiments  through  another  series 
of  sittings  with  me,  it  will  give  me  pleasure  to  enter  into  arrangements 

for  that  purpose. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Henry  Slade. 


Febuary  13th,  1885. 

On  February  13th,  1885,  Mr.  Furness,  Professor  Thompson  and 
Mr.  Fullerton,  on  the  part  of  the  Commission,  met  Mr.  Harry  Kellar, 
a  professional  conjurer,  at  Egyptian  Hall. 

The  men  seated  themselves  at  a  common  pine  table,  5  ft.  x  3  ft.,  with 
leaves. 

Mr.  Kellar  sat  at  one  side  of  the  table,  Mr.  Furness  at  one  end  to 
his  left,  Professor  Thompson  at  one  corner  to  Mr.  Furness's  left,  and 
Mr.  Fullerton  opposite  Mr.  Kellar.  The  end  of  the  table  to  Mr. 
Kellar 's  right  was  unoccupied. 

Nine  slates  were  found  lying  on  a  small  stand  about  six  feet  from 
the  table. 

These  slates  were  washed  one  by  one  on  the  stand,  and  laid  in  a  pile 
on  the  table  at  Mr.  Kellar's  right. 


78 

A  slate  was  taken  from  the  pile,  both  sides  washed,  another  slate 
placed  upon  it,  and  both  held  together  under  the  edge  of  the  table.  A 
long  communication  appeared  upon  one  of  them  (or  what  seemed  to  be 
one  of  them),  purporting  to  come  from  the  Spirits. 

Two  more  slates  were  taken  and  apparently  both  sides  washed. 
One  was  placed  on  the  other  and  both  laid  upon  the  table  in  front 
of  Professor  Thompson,  one  end  of  the  slates  being  held  by  him  and 
the  other  by  Mr.  Kellar.  When  the  upper  slate  was  removed  the 
under  side  of  it  was  covered  with  writing. 

Professor  Thompson  then  changed  his  position  to  that  which  he  held 
when  with  Dr.  Slade — to  the  end  of  the  table  opposite  Mr.  Furness, 
and  to  Mr.  Kellar's  right. 

Writing  was  produced  in  similar  manner  on  two  other  slates  without 
the  Committee  detecting  the  manner  in  which  it  was  produced. 

One  of  these  slates  was  covered  on  both  sides  with  the  following  mes- 
sages: On  voyage  tout  eveille  dans  le  royaume  des  reves  et  des  illu- 
sions; l'esprit  se  refuse  a  admettre  les  merveilles  executees  dans  une 
salle  eclaire  devant  un  public  incredule  qui  cherche  a  s'expliquer  les 
trues  employes  a  deviner  les — 

Kellar  huye  del  espiritismo  porque  ya  paso  la  epoca  de  ella,  y  solo 
da  el  ejercicio  caracter  de  prestidigitacion. 

Het  blyfft  onbegrypelyk  hoe  de  heer  Kellar  die  door  twee  personen 
uit  het  publiek  stevigwordt  vast  gebonden,  zich  in  een  oogwenk  wist 
los  te  maken 

[Here  follow,  in  eight  lines,  sentences  for  which  we  have  no  types, 
in  Chinese,  Japanese,  Arabic,  and  Gujerati.   This  remarkable  feat  closes 
with  the  following  in  German  script :]  Ich  bin  ein  Geist  und  ich  Hebe 
mein  Lagerbier — Hans  Schneider. 
Von  Moltke. 

One  slate  was  broken  in  a  similar  way  to  that  broken  by  Dr.  Slade. 

Professor  Thompson  was  asked  to  write  a  question,  which  he  did 
while  the  side  of  the  slate  on  which  he  wrote  was  turned  away  from  Mr. 
Kellar.  The  slate  was  not  turned  over,  the  written  question  remain- 
ing on  the  under  side,  and  it  was  held  at  the  usual  place  under  the 
table,  Mr.  Kellar's  thumb  remaining  above  the  table  in  full  view, 
while  the  fingers  held  the  slate  up  under  the  table. 

A  moment  after  the  placing  of  the  slate  under  the  table,  it  was  with- 
drawn to  admit  of  a  small  pencil  being  placed  upon  it,  Mr.  Furness 
having  remarked  the  absence  of  the  pencil. 

The  slate  was  not  otherwise  withdrawn  from  under  the  table  above 


79 

two  inches  until  its  final  withdrawal,  and  the  question  was  always, 
seemingly,  on  the  under  side. 

When  the  slate  was  brought  out  a  communication  was  found  upon 
it  in  answer  to  Professor  Thompson's  question. 

The  answer  was  on  the  upper  side  of  the  slate.     [April,  1887:  Mr. 
Kellar  afterwards  revealed  his  methods  to  our  colleague,  Mr.  Furness.] 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


February  19th,  1885. 

The  Commission  met  on  Thursday,  February  19th,  1885,  at  8  p.m., 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Furness,  to  attend  a  seance  in  the  presence  of 
Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord. 

All  of  the  Commission  were  present,  and  there  were  present  also,  at 
the  request  of  the  Medium,  several  friends  of  members  of  the  Com- 
mission, both  men  and  women. 

There  were  in  all  eighteen  persons  present  beside  the  Medium; 
these  seated  themselves,  as  directed  by  the  Medium,  in  a  circle,  which 
was  about  six  or  seven  feet  in  diameter ;  the  Medium  took  her  seat  in 
the  centre. 

The  lights  having  been  put  out,  the  Medium  drew  her  chair  to  one 
side  of  the  circle,  placing  her  feet  in  contact  with  those  of  one  of  the 
persons  in  the  circle.  Those  composing  the  circle  linked  hands,  while 
the  Medium  had  her  hands  free. 

The  Medium  described  a  number  of  Spirit  forms  as  coming  to  those 
present — to  one  a  little  child,  to  another  an  old  man  with  white  hair, 
etc.  The  descriptions  were  in  general  vague  and  indefinite,  and  might 
have  applied  to  many  persons.  Nevertheless,  they  were  in  very  many 
cases  wide  of  the  mark.  Sometimes  a  father,  a  mother,  or  other  rela- 
tion was  described  as  present.  In  some  cases  the  death  of  such  rela- 
tions was  acknowledged  by  the  person  to  whom  the  Medium  addressed 
herself,  but  in  other  cases  the  relation  in  question  had  not  died,  or,  as 
in  the  case  of  a  child  or  brother — had  not  existed.  To  give  an  in- 
stance of  the  Medium's  inaccuracy :  Mr.  Fullerton's  grandfather  was 
described  as  coming  to  him,  and  the  Medium,  describing  the  form, 
added  that  Mr.  Fullerton  was  not  familiar  with  it,  as  his  grandfather 
had  died  while  he  was  a  young  man,  and  had  had  but  little  intercourse 
with  him.  Both  Mr.  Fullerton's  grandfathers  died  some  years  before 
he  was  born.     Many  other  descriptions  were  quite  as  erroneous. 


80 

Sometimes  a  form  was  described  as  coming  to  one  person  in  the  circle 
and  not  being  recognized  by  that  one,  was  referred  to  the  next ;  de- 
scribed as  standing  between  them,  etc.  The  number  of  successes,  com- 
pared with  the  number  of  failures,  was  not  striking. 

Whispers  were  heard — one  at  a  time — always  at  a  point  in  the  circle 
at  a  distance  from  that  at  which  the  Medium  was  just  after  the  whisper 
heard  to  speak  to  some  one  in  her  natural  voice.  The  whispers  ivere 
never  simultaneous  with  the  remark  afterward  made  by  the  Medium. 

In  the  short  interval  between  the  whisper  and  the  succeeding  remark 
by  the  Medium,  I  distinctly  heard,  on  many  occasions,  a  rustle  of 
clothing,  and  once  or  twice  a  slight  creak  of  the  chair,  as  though  the 
Medium  had  moved  her  body  from  one  side  to  the  other,  which  she 
could  easily  have  done  without  taking  her  feet  away  from  those  of  the 
person  she  faced. 

Upon  one  of  those  present  inquiring  why  the  whisper  always 
sounded  as  if  made  by  the  same  voice,  the  Medium  stated  that  the 
whisper  did  always  sound  the  same,  and  that  she  was  sorry  to  have  to 
add,  that  it  always  sounded  as  if  made  by  the  voice  of  the  Medium. 

Upon  one  occasion  a  light  appeared  and  re-appeared  two  or  three 
times  in  front  of  the  Medium,  passing  from  near  her  knee  up  for  a  foot 
or  two.  The  light  was  indistinct,  apparently  phosphorescent,  and 
passed  so  quickly  that  it  could  not  be  examined.  It  was  described  by 
the  Medium,  however,  as  a  form  of  a  child  from  the  Spirit  world. 

Those  present  changed  their  seats  during  the  seance,  as  suggested, 
but  without  producing  more  satisfactory  results.  The  seance  lasted 
about  two  hours. 

At  Mrs.  Lord's  own  suggestion  before  the  seance,  two  women  present 
took  the  Medium  into  another  room,  and  searched  her  clothes. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


February  20th,  1885. 

The  Commission  met  on  Friday,  February  20th,  1885,  at  8  p.m., 
again  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Furness,  to  attend  a  second  seance  in  the 
presence  of  Mrs.  Lord. 

On  the  part  of  the  Commission  were  present  Mr.  Furness,  Mr.  Sel- 
lers and  Mr.  Fullerton.  There  were  also  present  several  women  and 
men,  some  of  whom  had  been  present  at  the  previous  sitting.  The 
circle,  when  formed,  was  about  six  feet  in  diameter. 


81 

A  ring  was  given  by  the  Medium  to  Mr.  Sellers  and  another  to  Miss 
Logan  to  wear  during  the  evening,  with  the  expectation  that  they 
might  be  taken  by  the  Spirits  and  passed  to  another  person  in  the 
circle,  in  accordance  with  the  unexpressed  wish  of  the  one  holding  the 
ring.     This  was  not  done  during  the  evening. 

A  small  musical-box  was  also  given  to  one  of  the  women  to  hold, 
and  a  zither  placed  upon  the  lap  of  a  man.  The  former  was,  during 
the  seance,  taken  from  the  woman  holding  it,  and  passed  to  another  person 
in  the  circle.  The  Medium  sat  as  before,  with  her  hands  free,  while 
those  in  the  circle  clasped  hands,  as  was  done  on  the  former  evening, 
each  one  having  his  left  wrist  grasped  by  the  right  hand  of  his 
neighbor,  or  vice  versa. 

The  zither  was  undisturbed  during  the  evening. 

Touches  were  felt  here  and  there  on  the  knees  of  those  in  the  circle, 
and  whispers  were  again  heard  from  time  to  time. 

The  whispers  were,  as  before,  never  simultaneous  with  the  speeches 
of  the  Medium,  which  were  heard  just  after  in  another  part  of  the 
circle. 

I  distinctly  noticed,  on  several  occasions,  the  same  rustle,  as  of  a 
change  of  position  on  the  part  of  the  Medium,  between  the  whisper  and 
the  remark  by  the  Medium. 

Many  Spirit  forms  were  described  by  the  Medium  as  coming  to  those 
present,  with  about  the  same  proportion  of  success  as  on  the  former 
evening. 

At  various  times  during  the  sitting,  lights  were  seen,  which  appeared 
and  disappeared  rapidly.  They  were  indistinct  and  phosphorescent — 
such  as  can  be  produced  in  a  dark  room  by  rubbing  a  match-head, 
or  by  exhibiting  an  object  rubbed  with  a  match. 

The  lights — at  least  all  that  were  clearly  seen  by  several  persons — 
were  within  the  circle  and  about  the  Medium. 

Occasionally  the  Medium  spoke  of  lights  as  without  the  circle,  and 
one  or  two  of  those  present  (not  members  of  the  Commission)  assented. 
But,  as  on  two  such  occasions,  when  those  opposite  myself  described 
the  light  as  above  and  behind  me,  I  saw  it  above  and  in  front  of  me, 
or  between  me  and  the  Medium;  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  they 
were  not  deceived  by  the  difficulty  of  judging  of  the  distance  of  an 
indistinct  and  evanescent  appearance  in  a  quite  dark  place.  The 
direction,  but  not  the  distance,  can  in  such  a  case  be  readily  known. 

After  a  sitting  of  about  two  hours,  the  attempt  to  produce  more 
striking  phenomena  was  abandoned. 

During  both  seances  Mrs.  Lord  kept  up  an  almost  continuous  clap- 
6 


82 

ping  of  hands — the  noise  was  not  loud,  but  sufficient  to  aid  in  hiding 
any  rustle  of  the  Medium's  dress,  or  creaking  of  a  chair.  The  Medium 
also  talked  constantly. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  Medium  those  present  joined  in  singing  on 
two  occasions. 

The  wThisper  heard  in  the  circle  was  uniformly  hoarse. 

A  list  of  those  present  at  these  seances  and  the  names  of  the  ladies 
who  searched  the  Medium,  are  appended  : 

Those  present  at  Mrs.  Lord's  seance  on  Thursday  were :  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Pepper,  Professor  and  Mrs.  Fullerton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sellers,  Professor 
and  Mrs.  Thompson,  Geo.  S.  Pepper,  Mr.  Leonard,  Miss  M.  M.  Logan, 
Dr.  Leidy,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Wister,  Miss  Agnes  Irwin,  Walter  R.  Furness, 
Dr.  C.  B.  Knerr,  Dr.  Koenig,  Dr.  H.  H.  Furness. 

Those  present  at  Friday's  stance  were:  Professor  Fullerton,  Miss 
Smith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sellers,  Dr.  Leidy,  Mr.  Leonard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F. 
Furness,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Wister,  Miss  Irwin  and  Miss  Sophie  Irwin,  Miss 
Logan,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  M.  Dick,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Carpenter,  H.  H.  Furness. 
Mrs.  A.  L.  Wister,  Mrs.  Dr.  Pepper,  Women  Searchers. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


May  27th,  1885. 

On  May  27th,  The  Seybert  Commission  held  a  meeting  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Furness,  at  8  p.m.,  to  examine  the  phenomena  occurring  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Pierre  L.  O.  A.  Keeler,  a  professional  Medium. 

There  were  present  on  the  part  of  the  Commission,  Dr.  Pepper,  Mr. 
Furness,  Dr.  Koenig,  Dr.  White,  Dr.  Knerr,  Mr.  Sellers  and  Mr.  Ful- 
lerton.    The  following  friends  of  the  Commission  were  also  present : 

Mr.  F.  Furness,  Mr.  W.  R.  Furness,  Mr.  J.  Foster  Kirk,  Mr.  Yost, 
Mrs.  E.  D.  Gillespie,  Miss  Gillespie,  Mrs.  Dr.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  C.  B. 
Rossell,  Mrs.  Dr.  Pepper,  Mrs.  Sellers,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Wister,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Knerr,  Miss  Agnes  Irwin,  Miss  M.  M.  Logan. 

There  were  also  present,  as  introduced  by  the  Medium,  the  Medium's 
wife,  Mrs.  Keeler;  Col.  S.  P.  Kase  and  Mrs.  Kase,  and  Dr.  Annie  D. 
Ramburger. 

The  Medium,  Mr.  Keeler,  is  a  young  man,  apparently  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  with  well  cut  features,  curly,  brown  hair,  a  small,  sandy 
moustache,  and  rather  worn  and  anxious  expression;  he  is  strongly 


83 

built,  about  five  feet  eight  inches  high,  and  with  rather  short,  quite 
broad,  and  very  muscular  hands  and  strong  wrists.  The  hands  were 
examined  by  Dr.  Pepper  and  Mr.  Fullerton  after  the  seance. 

The  seance  was  held  in  Mr.  Furness's  drawing-room,  and  a  space  was 
curtained  off  by  the  Medium  in  the  north-east  corner,  thus: 


X           >   '• 

a 

©*\ifye 

•t 

©\ 

V         * 

®r 

* 

V 

% 

V 

i 

^       +  ■. 

+ 

+  +  +  , 

The  curtain  is  represented  by  a,  b;  c,d  and  e  are  three  chairs  placed 
in  front  of  the  curtain  by  the  Medium,  in  one  of  which  (e)  he  after- 
wards sat ;  g  denotes  the  position  of  Mrs.  Keeler ;  /  is  a  small  table, 
placed  within  the  curtain,  and  upon  which  were  a  tambourine,  a  guitar, 
two  bells,  a  hammer,  a  metallic  ring;  the  asterisks  show  the  positions 
of  the  spectators,  who  sat  in  a  double  row — the  two  marked  (1)  and 
(2)  indicate  the  positions  taken  by  Mrs.  Kase  and  Col.  Kase,  according 
to  the  directions  of  the  Medium. 

The  curtain,  or  rather  curtains,  were  of  black  muslin,  and  arranged 
as  follows :  There  was  a  plain  black  curtain,  which  was  stretched  across 
the  corner,  falling  to  the  floor.  Its  height,  when  in  position,  was  53 
inches ;  it  was  made  thus : 


.     d 


i  \ 


84 

The  cord  which  held  the  curtain  was  1,  2,  and  the  flaps  which  are 
represented  as  standing  above  it  (a,  b,  e,  etc.),  fell  down  over  a',  b't  c', 
etc.,  and  could  be  made  to  cover  the  shoulders  of  one  sitting  with  his 
back  against  the  curtain.  A  black  curtain  was  also  pinned  against  the 
wall,  in  the  space  curtained  off,  partly  covering  it.  Another  curtain 
was  added  to  the  one  pictured,  as  will  be  described  later. 

The  Medium  then  asked  Col.  Kase  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the 
necessity  of  observing  the  conditions,  need  of  harmony,  etc.  And  then 
the  Medium  himself  spoke  a  few  words  of  similar  import.  He  then  drew 
the  curtain  (shown  on  the  preceding  page)  along  the  cord  (1, 2)  and  fast- 
ened it ;  placed  three  wooden  chairs  in  front  of  the  curtain,  as  indicated 
in  the  cut,  and  saying  he  needed  to  form  a  battery,  asked  Miss  Agnes 
Irwin  to  sit  in  chair  (d),  and  Mr.  Yost  in  chair  (c),  the  Medium  himself 
sitting  in  chair  (e).  A  black  curtain  was  then  passed  by  Mrs.  Keeler 
over  Mr.  Keeler,  Miss  Irwin  and  Mr.  Yost,  being  fastened  at  g,  between 
e  and  d,  between  d  and  c,  and  beyond  a:  thus  entirely  covering  the 
three  sitting  in  front  of  the  stretched  curtain  up  to  their  necks ;  and 
when  the  flaps  before  mentioned  were  pulled  down  over  their  shoulders, 
nothing  could  be  seen  but  the  head  of  each. 

Before  this  last  curtain  was  fastened  over  them,  the  Medium  placed 
both  his  hands  upon  the  forearm  and  wrist  of  Miss  Irwin,  the  sleeve 
being  pulled  up  for  the  purpose,  and  Miss  Irwin  grasped  with  her  right 
hand  the  left  wrist  of  Mr.  Yost ;  his  right  hand  being  in  sight  to  the 
right  of  the  curtain. 

After  some  piano-music,  the  Medium  said  he  felt  no  power  from  this 
*  battery,'  and  asked  Mrs.  E.  D.  Gillespie  to  take  Miss  Irwin's  place. 
Hands  and  curtain  were  arranged  as  before. 

The  lights  were  turned  down  until  the  room  was  quite  dim.  Those 
present  sang. 

During  the  singing,  the  Medium  turned  to  speak  to  Mr.  Yost,  and 
his  body,  which  had  before  faced  rather  away  from  the  two  other  per- 
sons of  the  'battery'  (which  position  would  have  brought  his  right 
arm  out  in  front  of  the  stretched  curtain) — his  body  was  now  turned 
the  other  way,  so  that,  had  he  released  his  grasp  upon  Mrs.  Gillespie's 
arm,  his  own  right  arm  could  have  had  free  play  in  the  curtained  space 
behind  him.  His  left  knee  also  no  longer  stood  out  under  the  curtain 
in  front,  but  showed  a  change  of  position. 

At  this  time  Mrs.  Gillespie  declared  she  felt  a  touch,  and  soon  after 
so  did  Mr.  Yost.  The  Medium's  body  was  distinctly  inclined  toward 
Mr.  Yost  at  the  time.     Mrs.  Gillespie  said  she  felt  taps,  but  declared 


85 

that,  to  the  best  of  her  knowledge,  she  still  felt  the  Medium's  two  hands 
upon  her  arm. 

Kaps  indicated  that  the  Spirit,  George  Christy,  was  present.  As  one 
of  those  present  played  on  the  piano,  the  tambourine  was  played  in  the 
curtained  space  and  thrown  over  the  curtain ;  bells  were  rung ;  the  guitar 
was  thrummed  a  little.  At  this  time  the  Medium's  face  was  toward 
Mrs.  Gillespie,  and  his  right  side  toward  the  curtain.  His  body  was 
further  in  against  the  curtain  than  either  of  the  others.  Upon  being 
asked,  Mrs.  Gillespie  again  said  she  thought  she  still  felt  two  hands 
upon  her  arm. 

The  guitar  was  then  thrust  out,  at  least  the  end  of  it  was,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  curtain,  between  Mrs.  Gillespie  and  the  Medium.  Mrs. 
Keeler  drew  away  the  curtain  from  over  the  toes  of  the  Medium's 
boots,  to  show  where  his  feet  were  ;  the  guitar  was  thrummed  a  little. 
Had  the  Medium's  right  arm  been  free,  the  thrumming  could  have 
been  done  quite  easily  with  one  hand. 

Afterwards  the  guitar  was  elevated  above  the  curtain;  the  tam- 
bourine, wThich  was  by  Mrs.  Keeler  placed  upon  a  stick  held  up  within 
the  enclosure,  was  made  to  whirl  by  the  motion  of  the  stick.  The 
phenomena  occurred  successively,  not  simultaneously. 

When  the  guitar  was  held  up,  and  when  the  tambourine  was  made 
to  whirl,  both  of  these  were  to  the  right  of  the  Medium,  chiefly  behind 
Mrs.  Gillespie;  they  were  just  where  they  might  have  been  produced 
by  the  right  arm  of  the  Medium,  had  it  been  free. 

Two  clothes-pins  were  then  passed  over  the  curtain,  and  they  were 
used  in  drumming  to  piano-music.  They  could  easily  be  used  in  drum- 
ming by  one  hand  alone,  the  fingers  being  thrust  into  them. 

The  pins  were  afterwards  thrown  out  over  the  curtain.  Mr.  Sellers 
picked  one  up  as  soon  as  it  fell,  and  found  it  warm  in  the  split,  as 
though  it  had  been  worn.  The  drumming  was  probably  upon  the 
tambourine. 

A  hand  was  seen  moving  rapidly  with  a  trembling  motion — which 
prevented  it  from  being  clearly  observed — above  the  back  curtain  be- 
tween Mr.  Yost  and  Mrs.  Gillespie.  Paper  was  passed  over  the  curtain 
into  the  Cabinet  and  notes  were  soon  thrown  out.  The  notes  could 
have  been  written  upon  the  small  table  within  the  enclosure  by  the 
right  hand  of  the  Medium,  had  it  been  free.  Mrs.  Keeler  then  passed 
a  coat  over  the  curtain,  and  an  arm  was  passed  through  the  sleeve, 
fingers,  with  the  cuff  around  them,  being  shown  over  the  curtain.  They 
were  kept  moving,  and  a  close  scrutiny  was  not  possible. 

Mr.  Furness  was  then  invited  to  hold  a  writing-tablet  in  front  of  the 


86 

curtain,  when  the  hand,  almost  concealed  by  the  coat-sleeve  and  the 
flaps  mentioned  as  attached  to  the  curtain,  wrote  with  a  pencil  on 
the  tablet.  The  writing  was  rapid,  and  the  hand,  when  not  writing, 
was  kept  in  constant  tremulous  motion.  The  hand  was  put  forth  in  this 
case  not  over  the  top  curtain,  but  came  from  under  the  flap,  and  could 
easily  have  been  the  Medium's  right  hand  were  it  disengaged,  for  it  was 
about  on  a  level  with  his  shoulder  and  to  his  right,  between  him  and 
Mrs.  Gillespie.  Mr.  Furness  was  allowed  to  pass  his  hand  close  to  the 
curtain  and  grasp  the  hand  for  a  moment.     It  was  a  right  hand. 

Soon  after  the  Medium  complained  of  fatigue,  and  the  sitting  was  dis- 
continued. It  was  declared  by  the  Spiritualists  present  to  be  a  fairly 
successful  seance.  When  the  curtains  were  removed,  the  small  table  in 
the  enclosure  was  found  to  be  overturned,  and  the  bells,  hammer,  etc., 
on  the  floor. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  space  within  which  all  the  manifestations 
occurred.  They  were,  without  exception,  where  they  would  have  been 
had  they  been  produced  by  the  Medium's  right  arm.  Nothing  hap- 
pened to  the  left  of  the  Medium,  nor  very  far  over  to  the  right.  The 
sphere  of  activity  was  between  the  Medium  and  Mr.  Yost,  and  most  of 
the  phenomena  occurred,  as,  for  example,  the  whirling  of  the  tambourine, 
behind  Mrs.  Gillespie. 

The  front  curtain — i.  e.,  the  main  curtain  which  hung  across  the 
corner — was  85  inches  in  length,  and  the  cord  which  supported  it,  53 
inches  from  the  floor.  The  three  chairs  which  were  placed  in  front  of  it 
were  side  by  side,  and  it  would  not  have  been  difficult  for  the  Medium 
to  reach  across  and  touch  Mr.  Yost.  When  Mrs.  Keeler  passed  objects 
over  the  curtain,  she  invariably  passed  them  to  the  right  of  the  Medium, 
although  her  position  was  on  his  left ;  and  the  clothes-pins,  paper,  pen- 
cil, etc.,  were  all  passed  over  at  a  point  where  the  Medium's  right  hand 
could  easily  have  reached  them. 

To  have  produced  the  phenomena  by  using  his  right  hana,  the 
Medium  would  have  to  have  passed  it  under  the  curtain  at  his  back. 
This  curtain  was  not  quite  hidden  by  the  front  one  at  the  end  near  the 
Medium,  and  this  end  both  Mr.  Sellers  and  Dr.  Pepper  saw  rise  at  the 
beginning  of  the  seance. 

The  only  thing  worthy  of  consideration,  as  opposed  to  a  natural 
explanation  of  the  phenomena,  was  the  grasp  of  the  Medium's  hands 
on  Mrs.  Gillespie's  arm. 

The  grasp  was  evidently  a  tight  one  above  the  wrist,  for  the  arm  was 
bruised  for  about  four  inches.  There  was  no  evidence  of  a  similar  press- 
ure above  that,  as  the  marks  on  the  arm  extended  in  all  about  five  or 


87 

six  inches  only.  The  pressure  was  sufficient  to  destroy  the  sensibility 
of  the  fore-arm,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  Mrs.  Gillespie  with  her  arm 
in  such  a  condition  could  distinguish  between  the  grasp  of  one  hand, 
with  a  divided  pressure  (applied  by  the  two  last  fingers  and  the  thumb 
and  index)  and  a  double  grip  by  two  hands.  Three  of  our  number,  Mr. 
Sellers,  Mr.  Furness  and  Dr.  White,  can,  with  one  hand,  perfectly 
simulate  the  double  grip. 

It  is  specially  worthy  of  note  that  Mrs.  Gillespie  declared  that,  when 
the  Medium  first  laid  hold  of  her  arm  with  his  right  hand  before  the 
curtain  was  put  over  them,  it  was  with  an  under  grip,  and  she  felt  his 
right  arm  under  her  left.  But  when  the  Medium  asked  her  if  she  felt 
both  his  hands  upon  her  arm,  and  she  said  yes,  she  could  feel  the  grasp, 
but  no  arm  under  hers,  though  she  moved  her  elbow  around  to  find  it 
— she  felt  a  hand,  but  not  an  arm,  and  at  no  time  during  the  seance 
did  she  find  that  arm. 

(Taken  from  notes  made  during  the  seance  and  immediately  after  it.) 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 

N.  B. — It  should  be  noted  that  both  the  Medium  and  Mr.  Yost  took 
off  their  coats  before  being  covered  with  the  curtain.  It  was  suggested 
by  Dr.  Pepper  that  this  might  have  been  required  by  the  Medium  as  a 
precaution  against  movements  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Yost.  The  white 
shirt-sleeves  would  have  shown  against  the  black  background. 

G.  S.  F. 


December  29th,  1885. 

There  was  a  meeting  of  The  Seybert  Commission  this  evening,  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Furness,  on  Washington  Square,  to  investigate  some 
Materializations  promised  by  the  Mediums,  Dr.  Rothermel  and  Mr. 
Powell. 

There  were  present  Mr.  Furness,  Dr.  Leidy,  Professor  Thompson,  Dr. 
S.  Weir  Mitchell,  Dr.  White,  Dr.  Knerr,  Mr.  Fullerton,  Colonel  Kase, 
Mr.  Frank  Furness,  Mrs.  J.  Dundas  Lippincott,  Mrs.  Dr.  Pepper,  Mrs. 
A.  L.  Wister,  and  a  number  of  others. 

The  Mediums  arrived  with  quite  a  bundle  of  apparatus,  and  stretched 
their  curtain  where  Mr.  Keeler  had  his,  across  the  corner  of  the  parlor, 
from  the  door  leading  into  the  hall  to  the  edge  of  the  window.  The 
curtain  was  similar  to  that  of  Mr.  Keeler  in  its  general  character,  and, 


88 

as  in  that  case,  the  whole  corner  was  draped  in  black.  The  shape  of 
the  Cabinet  was  triangular. 

The  Mediums  said  it  was  impossible  to  produce  materialized  forms 
as  they  had  expected,  and  proceeded  to  give  much  the  same  sort  of  a 
seance  as  Mr.  Keeler's — in  this  case,  however,  the  hands  of  the  Medium 
covered  by  the  curtain  being  fastened  with  tape,  instead  of  being  held. 

The  arrangement  of  the  curtain,  positions  of  the  Mediums,  and  the 
positions  of  the  spectators  were  as  indicated. 


X  Dr.  Rothermel — a  curtain  at  his  back  and  one  in  front  of  him,  his  head 
through  a  hole  in  the  upper  part  of  the  outer  flap  of  the  double  curtain. 

Y  Mr.  Powell. 

*  *  *  Spectators. 

On  table  (2)  was  a  music-box,  and  on  table  (1),  within  the  Cabinet,  bells,  a 
zither,  etc. 


The  lights  were  all  extinguished  but  one,  and  that  one  was  prevented 
from  throwing  light  on  the  Medium  by  a  shade  placed  upon  one  side 
of  it — it  was  turned  low.  The  light  was  not  so  good  as  during  Mr. 
Keeler's  seance. 

Before  the  lights  were  put  out,  Dr.  White  was  asked  to  tie  the  Me- 
dium, and  Mrs.  Lippincott  to  sew  the  ends  of  the  ribbon  and  tape  with 
which  he  was  tied. 

A  ribbon  was  tied  around  each  leg  above  the  knee,  and  the  ends 
sewed  to  his  trowsers.  A  bit  of  black  tape  was  then  passed  under  the 
ribbon  and  tied  around  the  wrist,  the  ends  being  knotted  and  sewed 
together  by  Mrs.  Lippincott.      His   right  hand  was  thus  fastened 


89 

to  his  right  leg,  and  his  left  hand  to  his  left  leg ;  though  he  still  had 
some  freedom  of  motion,  and  could  easily  reach  one  hand  with  the  other. 

Dr.  Rothermel  was  then  placed  as  indicated,  behind  the  outer  curtain, 
and  the  lights  extinguished  as  described. 

He  asked  for  a  drink  of  water,  which  was  given  him  by  Mr.  Powell, 
who  stood  directly  in  front  of  him  while  he  drank  it,  and  hid  him  from 
the  audience. 

Then  the  zither  played,  a  cap  was  thrown  out  over  the  curtain,  a 
hand  (to  the  right  of  the  Medium)  was  shown  over  the  curtain. 

Bells  were  rung,  papers  thrown  out,  a  drum  accompaniment  to  the 
piano  played,  as  by  Mr.  Keeler,  and  the  drum-sticks  thrown  out. 

Mr.  Powell  wet  in  a  glass  some  handkerchiefs  with  water,  and  passed 
them  over  the  curtain,  they  were  passed  out  wTith  a  message  written  on 
them  in  indelible  ink.  This  could  easily  have  been  done  with  an  in- 
delible pencil.  (The  small  table  within  the  curtain  was  within  easy 
reach  of  the  right  hand  of  the  Medium,  had  it  been  free,  and  could 
have  been  used  for  such  work.) 

The  music-box  on  table  (2)  was  set  off — was  rattled  several  times. 
(It  could  have  been  done  by  the  Medium's  left  hand  if  it  were  free.) 

The  person,  to  whom  each  of  the  above-mentioned  handkerchiefs 
was  to  be  returned,  was  indicated  by  raps  from  the  Spirit.  (The  Spirit 
was  in  error  in  returning  handkerchiefs  to  Dr.  Mitchell  and  Mr.  Fuller- 
ton.) 

The  zither  was  put  out  at  the  right  and  left  hand  lower  corners  of 
the  curtain.  (It  could  have  been  done  by  the  Medium,  were  his  hands 
free.) 

The  Medium  professed  to  be  then  controlled  by  the  Spirit  of  a  young 
girl — Emma  Hirsch.  He  spoke  in  an  unnatural  and  squeaky  voice, 
but  occasionally  lapsed  into  his  natural  voice.  The  Spirit  declared  the 
Medium  unconscious,  but  refused  to  allow  any  medical  examination  of 
his  condition. 

The  Mediums  were  then  asked  to  allow  Dr.  Rothermel's  hands  to  be 
examined.  After  a  little  delay,  the  curtain  was  folded  back  and  the 
hands  exposed. 

Mr.  Fullerton  was  permitted  to  examine  them  by  the  light  of  a  match 
only,  and  very  hastily.  They  did  not  allow  a  candle,  which  had  been 
lighted,  to  be  brought  near.  As  Mr.  Fullerton  approached  to  examine 
the  knots,  Mr.  Powell  came  close  and  seemed  very  much  afraid  they 
would  be  touched.  He  kept  reiterating,  "Don't  touch  them!"  "Don't 
touch  them!"  "It  would  be  very  dangerous!  "  The  examination  was 
hasty  and  unsatisfactory,  as  Mr.  Powell  and  Dr.  Rothermel  both  said 


90 

that  he  (the  latter)  could  endure  it  only  a  moment.  Hasty  as  it  was, 
it  showed  that  the  knots,  which  had  been  on  top  of  the  wrists,  were 
now  underneath ;  the  tapes,  as  is  mentioned  later,  were,  at  the  end 
of  the  seance,  found  cut  close  to  the  knots. 

Whether  the  tapes  were  really  in  their  former  state,  and  not  already 
cut,  could  only  be  known  by  examining  them  all  around,  and  such 
an  examination  was  not  allowed. 

It  should  be  stated  that  before  this,  and  after  some  of  the  manifesta- 
tions, the  Medium,  with  some  convulsive  movement,  as  if  pulled  and 
pushed  by  Spirits,  came  out  from  under  the  curtain,  and  stood  with  his 
hands  on  his  legs,  as  if  tied  there,  but  it  was  too  dark  to  see  whether  he 
was  really  tied,  or  merely  held  his  hands  there,  and  no  examination 
was  made. 

Soon  after,  the  Medium  declared  that  the  Spirits  were  cutting  him 
loose,  and  when  the  curtain  was  removed  and  lights  brought,  the  tapes 
which  had  bound  his  wrists  were  found  to  be  cut  through  close  to  the 
knots.  Whether  this  was  done  at  the  beginning  of  the  seance,  leaving 
the  Medium's  hands  free  from  the  beginning,  or  at  the  time  indicated 
by  the  Medium,  there  was  no  means  of  proving.  The  cutting  of  the 
tapes  made  the  tying  and  sewing  tests  quite  valueless. 

(Taken  from  notes  made  during  the  seance  and  immediately  after.) 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


The  following  advertisement  was,  in  March,  1885,  inserted  in  The 
Religio- Philosophical  Journal,  of  Chicago,  The  Banner  of  Light,  in 
Boston,  and  The  Public  Ledger,  in  Philadelphia: 

"  The    Seybert    Commission    for    Investigating    Modern 

Spiritualism,"  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  hereby  requests 

all  Mediums  for  Independent  Slate  Writing,  and  no  other  at  present, 

who   are  willing  to  submit  their  manifestations  to  the   examination 

of  this   Commission,  to  communicate  with  the  undersigned,  stating 

terms,  etc. 

Horace  Howard  Furness, 

Acting  Chairman, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


91 


SPIRITUAL  PHOTOGRAPHY. 

When  Mr.  Keeler,  a  well-known  "  Spiritual  Photographer,"  was  in 
the  city,  the  Acting  Chairman  called  on  him,  and  requested  from  him 
in  writing  a  statement  of  his  terms  and  the  conditions  under  which  an 
investigation  by  this  Commission  could  be  held.  The  following  reply  was 
received  from  him : 

1614  Green  Street, 
Philadelphia,  November  6th,  1885. 
Mr.  Furness. 

Dear  Sir  : — In  regard  to  giving  the  Photographic  Seances  I  feel 
that  I  am  obliged  to  ask  an  observance  of  the  following  conditions : 
That  there  be  three  Seances,  for  which  I  shall  expect  the  sum  of  $300. 
I  desire  only  the  regularly  appointed  members  of  the  Commission  on 
your  side  to  be  present,  I  to  have  the  privilege  to  invite  an  equal  num- 
ber of  persons,  if  necessary,  to  harmonize  the  antagonistic  element  which 
might  be  produced  by  those  persons  not  in  perfect  sympathy  with  the 
cause. 

I  must  have  the  right  to  demand,  if  conditions  make  it  necessary,  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  dark  room  and  my  own  instrument. 

The  Seances  to  be  given  at  your  own  residence. 

As  I  cannot  guard  against  the  influences  which  others  may  bring,  I 
shall  expect  to  be  paid  the  afore-named  sum  whether  my  efforts  prove 
satisfactory  or  not,  although  I  hope  for  the  most  favorable  results,  and 
to  this  end  I  would  urge  the  members  of  the  Commission  to  surround 
me  with  the  most  congenial  and  harmonious  conditions  possible. 

These  Seances  to  begin  on  the  12th  inst. 

If  this  meets  with  your  approval  an  early  answer  is  solicited. 

Very  respectfully, 

W.  M.  Keeler. 

Memorandum  for  the  Seybert  Commission. 

I  called  this  morning  (Saturday,  14th  November,  1885),  on  Mr.  W. 
M.  Keeler,  and  told  him,  in  effect,  in  the  very  words  as  well  as  I  can 
remember,  as  follows :  that  I  had  received  his  letter  of  the  6th  inst., 
containing  his  terms,  and  had  consulted  the  Commission  in  regard  to 
them ;  and  that  our  conclusion  had  been  quickly  reached.  He  must  know 
how  very  simple  a  process  this  ' composite  photography' is,  and  that 
among  photographers  there  is  no  mystery  whatever  in  it.  For  his  own 
process  he  claimed  a  Spiritual  Agency — this  agency  we  were  willing 


92 

to  accept  (in  my  own  case  I  was  anxious  to  accept  it)  if,  after  a  thor- 
ough investigation,  his  process  could  not  be  explained  by  well-known 
physical  laws.  The  conditions  he  demanded  were  such  as  to  render 
any  investigation  simply  silly.  His  exclusive  use  of  the  dark  room, 
which  could  have  nothing  to  do  with  Spiritual  forces,  for  the  Spirits 
had  already  done  their  work  in  the  Camera,  utterly  precluded  us  from 
discovering  whether  his  processes  were  in  anywise  different  from  ordi- 
nary photography.  He  wished  to  know  in  what  way  this  prevented  us 
from  detecting  fraud  if  the  operations  took  place  in  a  private  house 
where  he  was  a  stranger.  I  replied  that  without  for  a  moment  impugn- 
ing his  honesty,  he  must  know  that  unless  we  were  present  with  him  in 
the  dark  room,  we  could  not  affirm  that  our  marks  had  not  been  dupli- 
cated on  substituted  plates. 

Furthermore,  that  we  had  regarded  his  terms  as  intentionally  pro- 
hibitory. The  demand  for  three  hundred  dollars  was  so  extraordinary 
that  we  could  regard  it  in  no  other  light  than  as  a  desire  to  avoid  an 
investigation  altogether.  I  asked  him  what  his  ordinary  charge  was, 
and  he  replied  two  dollars  for  each  sitting,  and  that  he  made  from 
twenty  to  forty  dollars  a  day,  when  he  settled  down  to  work. 

That  there  might  be  no  misunderstanding,  I  repeated  my  reply  to 
his  wife:  that  we  were  ready  to  investigate,  if  we  could  be  allowed  to 
watch  the  very  points  where  material  agency  ceases  and  spiritual  begins, 
but  these  very  points  Mr.  Keeler  forbade  us  to  examine,  and  that  the 
failure  rested  with  him. 

At  one  time  his  vexation  (which  was  manifest)  a  little  ran  away  with 
his  discretion.  He  asked,  with  somewhat  of  a  sneer,  'How  did  you  ex- 
pect to  investigate  it?'  I  replied  that  'I  could  not  answer  for  others, 
but  for  myself  I  should  have  liked  to  have  him  say,  when  we  of  the 
Commission  met  him,  'The  Spirits  are  present,  through  my  Mediumship, 
here  is  my  Camera  in  which  the  Spirits  will  manifest  themselves  on  the 
sensitized  plates,  take  it,  and  so  long  as  I  am  present  with  my  influence, 
do  what  you  please.'  He  laughed  outright  and  said  '  That  would  be  a 
good  thing.' 

I  endeavored  throughout  the  interview  to  impress  him  with  our  utter 
incredulity  in  the  spiritual  nature  of  his  photographs,  and  yet  to  give 
him  no  loop  to  hang  a  charge  of  discourteous  or  illiberal  treatment  on. 
I  asked  him  to  give  me,  in  my  private  capacity,  a  sitting  at  his  ear- 
liest convenience,  and  that  I  should  not  be  satisfied  with  less  than  a 
cherub  on  my  head,  one  on  each  shoulder,  and  a  full-blown  angel 
on  my  breast.     He  laughingly  assented. 

Horace  Howard  Furness, 
Acting  Chairman  Seybert  Commission. 


93 

I  ought,  perhaps,  to  add  that  I  showed  to  Mr.  Keeler  a  composite 
photograph  taken  by  one  of  my  sons,  wherein  a  Spirit  quite  as  ethereal 
as  any  of  Mr.  Keeler's,  appears  in  the  background.  He  looked  at  it, 
and  returned  it  to  me  without  remark. 

H.  H.  F. 


March  30th,  1886. 

The  Seybert  Commission  met  this  evening  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Pep- 
per, to  investigate  Spiritistic  phenomena  produced  through  the  Medi- 
umship  of  Mr.  Briggs  (for  an  account  of  Mr.  Briggs  see  a  previous 
report). 

There  were  present,  Dr.  Pepper,  Dr.  Leidy,  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell, 
Professor  Koenig,  Dr.  White,  Dr.  Knerr,  Mr.  FullertOn  and  two  friends 
of  Dr.  Pepper,  Mr.  Charles  G.  Smith  and  Mr.  Robert  S.  Davis ;  also 
the  Medium,  Mr.  Fred.  Briggs. 

The  seance  was  in  Dr.  Pepper's  office;  a  square  table  (about  3?  feet 
square)  was  placed  in  the  room  near  the  centre,  and  was  supplemented 
by  an  oblong  table  (about  4  feet  by  3)  placed  with  one  end  touch- 
ing the  side  of  the  former,  upon  the  Medium's  declaring  the  former 
too  small.     Seats  were  taken  around  the  tables. 

A  banjo,  a  musical  box,  a  zither,  a  couple  of  slates  and  a  fan  were 
on  the  tables. 

The  Medium  insisted  that  there  should  be  total  darkness,  and  a  shawl 
was  hung  over  the  window  to  exclude  all  light. 

At  first  hands  were  joined  around  the  table.  Then  the  Medium 
suggested  breaking  the  circle.  His  hands  were  then  quite  free. 
Draughts  of  air  were  felt  (possibly  the  fan) ;  the  Medium  kept  making 
noises,  blowing  and  breathing  hard,  talking,  etc. ;  the  slates  on  the 
table  were  moved,  the  guitar  was  twanged,  the  music-box  played. 
During  all  this  the  Medium  asked  that  the  hands  of  all  present  be 
kept  on  the  table. 

The  Medium  stated  that  Mr.  Seybert  was  present.  He  declared 
that  Mr.  Seybert  expressed  himself  as  satisfied  with  the  efforts  of  the 
Commission  to  make  a  fair  investigation. 

When  the  Medium  stated  that  some  message  had  been  written  on 
one  of  the  slates  by  Mr.  Seybert,  the  gas  was  lit,  and  we  found  on  one 
slate  "  I  am  here."  No  one  present  was  able  to  declare  it  Mr.  Sey- 
bert's  handwriting,  as  none  were  familiar  with  his  writing. 

The  light  was  then  turned  low.  Mr.  Smith  was  asked  to  sit  in  the 
place  of  Dr.  Mitchell.     He  held,  as  directed,  one  slate  up  under  the 


94 

table,  and  the  Medium  held  the  other  under  the  table  over  his  own 
knee.     After  some  conversation  the  Medium  drew  out  his  slate,  and 
the  light  being  turned  up  we  found  on  it : 
"I  am  with  you. 

John  Pepper." 

It  was  too  dark  to  watch  the  Medium  during  this  last  occurrence. 
The  conversation,  which  was  general,  would  have  prevented  writing 
from  being  heard. 

Light  turned  up — both  slates  held  by  the  Medium  under  the  table 
— no  result. 

The  light  was  then  turned  low.  Dr.  Leidy  was  asked  to  sit  next 
the  Medium.  Some  noise  and  confusion  resulted  from  making  the 
change.  Then  the  Medium  asked  Dr.  Leidy  to  put  his  hand  also  upon 
a  slate  which  the  Medium  was  holding  up  under  the  table.  Attention 
was  then  called  to  a  scratching  sound,  which  might  have  been  writing. 
The  slate  was  taken  out  by  Dr.  Leidy,  and  the  light  turned  up.  The 
following  was  written  on  it : 

"  John  Smith  is  with  you  like  a  young  son. 

John  Lydy." 

It  was,  of  course,  possible  that  the  writing  was  done  before  Dr. 
Leidy  put  his  hand  on  it,  as  the  slate  was  not  then  examined. 

The  Medium  suggested  that  we  ask  mental  questions ;  several  did  so, 
without  result. 

The  light  was  then  turned  up.  Hands  were  joined.  Some  feeble 
raps  were  heard ;  they  apparently  issued  from  under  the  table. 

Slates  were  held  under  the  table,  but  without  result. 

The  light  was  then  turned  low.     A  slate  was  held  under  the  table 

by  the  Medium.     He  breathed  hard,  and   made  no  little  noise  for 

some  time.     Then  Dr.  Koenig  was  asked  to  put  his  hand  on  the  slate. 

A  scratching  was  heard.     When  the  light  was  turned  up  the  slate 

contained  the  message : 

"I  will  help  you  all. 

Dr.  Benj.  Rush." 

With  this  the  seance  ended. 

(Copied  from  notes  taken  during  the  seance.  Written  out  the  day 
after.) 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


95 

April  11th,  1886. 

I  attended  a  seance  at  the  house  of  Colonel  Kase,  1601  North  15th 
Street,  Philadelphia,  on  April  11th,  at  8.10  p.m.  The  Medium  was 
Mrs.  Best. 

There  were  about  a  dozen  persons  present;  at  least  two  of  them, 
besides  Mrs.  Best,  claimed  to  be  Mediums. 

The  seance  was  in  Colonel  Kase's  sitting-room.  The  "Cabinet"  was 
made  by  stretching  a  curtain,  suspended  to  a  curved  rod,  across  one 
corner.  It  could  hold  a  chair,  and  was  perhaps  four  feet  across,  or 
more.  The  Medium,  Mrs  Best,  took  her  seat  in  the  chair  and  drew 
the  curtain.  The  room  was  made  totally  dark — a  cloth  being  used  to 
cover  the  crack  of  the  door.  The  spectators,  who  were  arranged  in  a 
deep  curve  facing  the  cabinet,  were  asked  to  sing  a  hymn. 

As  we  sang,  a  voice  from  the  Cabinet,  a  deep  contralto,  joined  in, 
loudly.  Soon  something  resembling  in  outline  a  human  form  covered 
with  drapery  appeared  at  the  Cabinet.  It  was  indistinctly  luminous. 
No  face  was  visible;  nor  could  the  face  of  any  other  Spirit,  which 
appeared  during  the  evening,  be  discerned  even  in  faintest  outline. 
The  light  seemed  to  belong  entirely  to  the  drapery.  The  Spirit  was 
declared  to  be  Apollonius,  and  made  a  speech  in  a  loud,  harsh  voice. 
Other  similar  forms  appeared  one  after  the  other,  and  spoke  in  different 
tones — all  the  voices,  however,  with  the  exception  of  Apollonius's  and 
that  of  another  speaker,  were  more  or  less  like  hoarse  whispers.  When 
the  Spirit  of  Mr.  T.  R.  Hazard  appeared,  his  voice  was  by  no  means 
natural,  and  sounded  like  a  bad  imitation. 

A  form  calling  itself  "Lottie"  appeared,  kissed  a  Medium  present, 
and  at  my  request  passed  its  hands  over  my  head  and  face.  Its  hands 
wTere  covered  with  luminous  drapery  which  hung  down  perhaps  a  foot. 
I  was  allowed  to  touch  it.  It  felt  like  soft  tulle.  A  very  strong  odor 
of  sandal-wood  prevailed,  and  the  smell  of  phosphorus,  even  if  it  had 
been  used,  could  not  easily,  at  a  little  distance,  have  been  discerned. 
The  luminous  appearance  of  the  drapery  did  not  seem  to  be  due  to 
phosphorus — it  did  not  fume.  It  seemed  rather  such  as  might  have 
been  produced  by  luminous  paint — a  mixture  luminous  in  the  dark 
after  exposure  to  the  light.  I  noticed  on  the  hand,  or  what,  from  posi- 
tion, I  inferred  to  be  the  hand,  of  the  form,  a  distinctly  phosphorescent 
appearance;  it  was  on  this  account  I  asked  it  to  touch  me.  As  it 
passed  its  hand  over  my  face  I  distinctly  smelt  phosphorus. 

At  one  time  two  forms  appeared  near  each  other  and  near  the 
Cabinet.  They  might  easily  have  been  produced  by  holding  up 
luminous   drapery.     Tall   and   then   short  forms  then  appeared  one 


96 

at  a  time.  If  the  drapery  were  raised  or  lowered  the  appearance 
could  readily  have  been  produced,  and  the  person  holding  it  would 
have  been  quite  invisible. 

The  different  voices  that  spoke  never  spoke  simultaneously.  A  large 
rug  on  the  floor  in  front  of  the  Cabinet  would  have  prevented  steps 
from  being  heard,  had  the  form  been  the  Medium.     On  two  occasions, 

when  I  suggested  that  I  recognized  the  form  by  asking,  "  Is  it ?" 

the  Spirit  assented,  and  assumed  the  character.  Both  the  persons  I 
mentioned  are  still  alive. 

The  seance  began  at  8.10  p.m.,  and  lasted  two  hours  and  a-half. 
There  was  much  singing. 

The  seance  was  regarded  by  several  Spiritualists  who  were  present  as 
a  very  satisfactory  one.    I  expressly  asked  for  their  opinion. 

(Written  out  on  April  13th,  from  notes  made  in  the  car,  on  my  way 
home  from  the  seance.) 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 


January  30th,  1887. 

Yesterday  I  visited  Mrs.  M.  B.  Thayer,  an  Independent  Slate  Writing 
Medium,  at  1601  North  15th  Street,  Philadelphia,  in  hopes  of  arrang- 
ing for  a  seance  at  that  time.  I  had  a  conversation  of  about  half  an 
hour  with  Mrs.  Thayer,  who  asked  what  I  had  seen  before,  and  with 
what  Mediums  I  had  sat ;  but  I  was  not  able  to  get  a  sitting  at  once, 
Mrs.  Thayer  declaring  "the  conditions"  unsatisfactory.  She  made  an 
appointment,  however,  for  to-day  at  4  p.m.  In  the  hall  I  met,  on  my 
departure,  Mrs.  Kase,  the  hostess  of  the  Medium,  to  whom  I  am  person- 
ally known,  and  who  told  me  in  an  '  aside '  that  she  would  not  reveal 
my  identity  to  the  Medium.  This  might  readily  have  been  overheard 
by  the  Medium,  who  was  standing  close  by.  [I  visited  Mrs.  Thayer 
alone,  because  she  had  expressed  an  unwillingness  to  appear  before  the 
Commission,  and  we  found  it  necessary  to  visit  her  as  private  persons.] 

Upon  calling  to-day,  I  was  ushered  into  Mrs.  Thayer's  room,  in  which 
stood  a  small  wooden  table  covered  with  a  red  cloth  (which  hung  down, 
perhaps  a  foot,  on  all  sides  from  the  edges  of  the  table),  ready  for  the 
seance.  Ten  or  twelve  plain  single  slates  lay  in  a  pile  on  a  piece  of 
furniture  near  the  table. 

Mrs.  Thayer  handed  me  two  of  these  slates,  which  I  cleaned  and  ex- 
amined.    I  then  marked  them  on  the  inside,  or  what  became,  when  I 


97 

laid  them  together,  the  inside,  and  held  them  while  she  tied  them  to- 
gether with  a  piece  of  white  tape.  After  they  were  tied  they  could  be 
separated  an  eighth  of  an  inch  without  difficulty.  Holding  the  slates 
in  my  hand,  I  examined  the  table  and  the  furniture  near  it,  and  then 
took  my  seat  at  the  table,  Mrs.  Thayer  sitting  opposite  me.  The  table 
was  about  2^x1  J  feet.  At  the  suggestion  of  Mrs.  Thayer,  I  placed  the 
tied  slates  upon  the  table  under  the  cloth,  and  we  both  placed  our  hands 
upon  the  cloth  above  them.  After  waiting  for  some  time  for  indica- 
tions of  writing,  I  withdrew  the  slates  from  under  the  cloth,  and,  as 
directed,  held  them  with  my  right  hand  up  against  the  under  surface 
of  the  table,  Mrs.  Thayer  placing  her  left  hand  upon  my  right  as  I 
held  the  slates.  After  holding  them  thus  for  some  time  I  was  told  to 
withdraw  them,  and  hold  them  against  my  forehead.  Then  I  was  told 
to  open  them  and  to  scrape  some  pencil-dust  over  the  inner  surfaces. 
This  I  did,  again  closing  the  slates,  which  Mrs.  Thayer  tied  as  before. 
I  was  again  directed  to  hold  them  up  against  the  under  surface  of  the 
table,  and  the  Medium  again  placed  her  hand  upon  the  hand  with  which 
I  held  them.  Her  hand  was  not  wholly  upon  mine,  but  projected 
beyond  it  upon  my  wrist  and  towards  my  edge  of  the  slates.  After 
my  holding  the  slates  in  this  position,  seemingly  without  result,  until 
I  was  very  wearied,  the  Medium  suggested  my  laying  them  upon  my 
lap  and  covering  them  with  the  table  cover,  which  hung  down  more  on 
my  side  than  on  hers.  She  said  it  was  necessary  that  the  slates  should 
be  concealed.  When  they  were  in  this  position  we  joined  hands  upon 
the  table,  and  she  placed  her  feet  upon  mine  under  the  table,  thus 
making,  as  she  said,  a  strong  "battery."  This  seeming  to  be  ineffi- 
cacious, I  was  directed  to  wrap  the  slates  in  a  cloth  given  me  for  the 
purpose  (apparently  a  small  table  cover)  and  to  lay  them  on  the  floor 
under  the  table,  placing  my  left  foot  upon  them.  This  I  did,  and  the 
Medium  placed  one  of  her  feet  upon  my  left  foot,  taking  my  hands 
upon  the  table,  and  again  forming  the  "battery."  After  some  waiting, 
much  calling  upon  the  Spirit  of  Foster  to  write  (this  she  did  at  inter- 
vals during  the  seance)  and  several  requests  for  raps  (which  did  not 
come),  the  Medium  decided  that  we  should  get  nothing  during  the 
sitting,  and  it  was  discontinued.  I  took  up  the  slates  from  the  floor, 
took  off  the  cloth  and  untied  the  tape;  no  mark  had  been  made  upon 
them.  There  had  been  much  conversation  during  the  sitting,  the 
Medium  telling  me  not  to  keep  my  mind  on  the  slates,  but  to  put  my- 
self into  a  condition  of  "passivity."  She  declared  me  mediumistic,  and 
said  that  she  doubted  whether  she  would  ever  be  able  to  get  results  with 
me.  She  stated  two  or  three  times  that  she  saw  three  forms  behind  me, 
7 


98 

but  dimly,  and  could  not  describe  them.  One  was  a  "  mild  and  gentle 
lady,  with  a  beautiful  hand."  To  the  only  person  whom  I  can  remem- 
ber with  a  markedly  beautiful  hand,  no  one  would  have  applied  these 
adjectives.     The  sitting  was  about  an  hour  long. 

(Copied  and  arranged  the  same  evening  from  notes  made  in  the  car 
on  the  way  home  from  the  seance.) 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton. 

[I  arranged  for  another  seance  with  Mrs.  Thayer,  to  be  held  some 
days  later,  but  at  the  time  appointed  she  refused  to  see  me,  giving  as 
excuse  indisposition. 

G.  S.  R— April,  1887.] 


On  the  evening  of  January  29th,  1887,  in  company  with  Dr.  J.  W. 
White,  I  called  on  Mrs.  Thayer,  at  No.  1601  North  15th  Street. 

The  lady  seemed  not  to  be  pleased  with  our  visit,  and  declared  that  we 
were  no  Spiritualists.  She  reluctantly  agreed  to  give  us  a  seance  on  the 
following  Sunday,  and  on  parting  the  gentleman  of  the  house  politely 
invited  us  to  attend  a  flower  seance  to  be  held  by  the  same  lady  on  the 
following  Thursday. 

Calling  on  Sunday,  Mrs.  Thayer  excused  herself  on  account  of  indis- 
position. 

The  next  Thursday  we  attended  the  flower  seance,  in  which  I  felt 
much  curiosity  from  the  wonderful  story  that  had  been  told  to  me  by  a 
Spiritualist  friend,  who  had  seen  one  by  the  same  Medium  several  years 
before. 

The  seance  was  held  in  the  second  story  of  the  back  building,  in  a 
room  which  the  proprietor  of  the  house  informed  me  he  had  devoted 
to  the  purpose  of  Spiritualist  seances.  About  thirty  persons  were  as- 
sembled, and,  without  any  examination  of  the  premises,  they  were  seated 
around  a  long  dining-table.  In  the  company  Dr.  Koenig  was  the  only 
other  member  of  the  Seybert  Commission  present.  The  seance  was 
opened  with  an  'invocation'  by  a  lady,  and  during  the  'manifestations' 
the  company  sang  popular  airs,  such  as  '  Sweet  by-and-bye,'  etc.  The 
doors  and  windows  were  all  securely  closed  and  the  lights  extinguished. 
Sounds  were  heard  of  objects  dropping  on  the  table,  and  from  time  to 
time  matches  were  lit  and  exposed,  strewed  before  the  company,  cut 
plants  and  flowers.  There  were  all  of  the  kind  sold  at  this  season  by 
the  florists,  consisting  of  a  pine  bough,  fronds  of  ferns,  roses,  pinks, 
tulips,  lilies,  callas  (Richardia)  and  smilax  (Myrsiphyllum).     At  one 


99 

time  there  fell  on  the  table  a  heavy  body,  which  proved  to  be  a  living 
terrapin ;  at  another  time  there  appeared  a  pigeon  which  flew  about  the 
room.  The  flower  manifestation  ceased,  and  the  gas  was  re-lit.  A  lady 
then  made  some  remarks  on  the  wonderful  phenomena  exhibited  in 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  Spiritualism,  and  another  followed  with  some 
sentimentalities  on  the  subject.  The  proprietor  of  the  house  declared 
that  the  flowers  and  other  objects  brought  to  view  in  the  seance  were 
not  previously  in  the  room,  and  their  appearance  could  not  be  explained 
unless  through  Spiritual  agency.  He  said  that  in  former  years,  at 
similar  seances,  flowers  had  appeared  in  much  greater  quantities.  The 
Medium,  Mrs.  Thayer,  said  she  had  not  before  served  in  a  flower  seance 
for  several  years. 

At  the  next  act  of  the  seance,  as  I  understood  it,  a  '  test '  was  called 
for.  A  young  man,  whose  name  I  did  not  distinctly  hear,  now  took 
the  chair  of  the  former  Medium.  He  promptly  announced  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Spirit  of  an  Indian  girl,  and  then  personified  her  by  assum- 
ing a  silly  address  in  broken  English.  In  this  manner  he  expressed 
himself  as  seeing  various  Spirits  of  friends  and  relatives  of  the  company 
hovering  among  them.  They  wTere  announced  by  the  first  name  in  a 
rather  uncertain  and  expectant  manner,  and  in  a  few  instances  they 
were  supposed  to  be  recognized  by  some  of  the  company,  but  mostly 
did  not  accord  with  their  knowledge.  As  an  example,  the  Medium 
informed  Dr.  Koenig  that  a  tall  man  named  Charley  was  holding  some- 
thing over  his  head  and  encouraging  him  in  some  great  enterprise.  Dr. 
Koenig  did  not  recognize  the  man,  nor  could  he  be  made  to  compre- 
hend anything  of  the  subjects  of  which  he  was  informed  by  the 
materialized  Indian  girl.  During  this  second  act  of  the  seance,  I 
could  detect  nothing  that  could  be  attributed  to  other  than  ordinary 
human  agency.     The  Indian  girl  retired,  and  the  seance  closed. 

Joseph  Leidy. 


February  10th,  1887. 

I  enter  Col.  Kase'&  Iiouse,  1601  North  15th  Street,  in  company  of 
Drs.  Leidy,  White  and  Mr.  Sommerville,  a  friend  of  the  first. 
We  are  received  by  the  Colonel  and  pass  scrutiny.  The  seance 
takes  place  in  the  second  story  sitting-room.  This  is  furnished 
with  a  large  oak  table,  a  square  piano,  and  one  corner  is  made 
into  an  alcove,  the  curtains  of  which  are  thrown  back  and  reveal 
several  drawings  in  black  and  white — one  of  the  young  Raphael. 
Over  the  mantlepiece  a  painting  representing  the  apparition  of  a  Spirit- 


100 

form,  to  a  young  lady  sitting  in  front  of  a  fire-place.  On  entering  this 
room  find  the  Medium,  Mrs.  Thayer,  engaged  in  seating  the  audience. 
She  is  a  middle-aged  lady  of  good  proportions,  hair  black,  color  flushed, 
the  light  eyes  look  weary,  the  lower  face  rather  square,  deep  lines 
around  the  mouth.  She  is  evidently  not  in  very  good  humor.  After 
a  while  the  company,  between  twenty  and  thirty  persons,  mostly 
women,  get  seated. 

Owing  to  the  many  people  present  I  could  not  see  what  preparations 
had  been  made.  Medium  requests  that  the  piano  be  moved  against  the 
door  (to  keep  off  illicit  Spirits?).  Chair  placed  against  the  door.  Light 
turned  out  completely.  Singing  of  "Sweet  by-and-bye."  Medium 
requests  a  lady  to  invoke  Divine  blessing.  Disgusting  cant.  More 
singing.  Darkness  impenetrable.  Sudden  bumping  noise  on  the  table. 
Match  struck  by  the  Colonel  just  as  something  crawls  over  my  hand 
and  falls  to  the  floor.  It  is  a  red-bellied  terrapin.  Some  ferns  appear 
neatly  arranged  on  the  table  in  front  and  to  the  left  of  the  Medium. 
Expressions  of  gratification.  Dark.  Singing.  A  pine-bough  is  thrown 
against  me.  Screaming  on  account  of  terrapin.  Match.  Several 
parties  have  large  lilies  in  front  of  them.  My  neighbor  a  lily  of  the 
valley  (he  states  that  his  wife  said  before  he  left :  "  I  wish  you 
would  get  a  lily  of  the  valley").  Dark.  Singing.  Match.  Dr.  Leidy 
has  some  red  lilies ;  some  smilax  and  a  wreath  are  on  the  table.  Great 
astonishment.  Colonel  Kase  says  it  is  wonderful,  but  during  the  Cen- 
tennial year  they  got  tables  loaded  with  flowers  (the  Medium  has  not 
given  a  flower  seance  for  some  years,  she  says,  hence  the  rather  meagre 
supply.)  A  lady  points  out  the  fact  that  the  flowers  are  quite  cold  and 
have  a  sort  of  dew  on  them.  But  I  found  those  before  me  quite  dry,  as 
if  they  had  been  in  the  room  for  some  time.  The  Medium  is  tired  and 
retires.  Mrs.  X.  is  requested  to  come  under  the  influence  of  her  Spirit- 
guides,  and  she  .  does.  She  puts  herself  in  an  oratorical  posture,  eyes 
closed,  and  reels  off  the  common-places  of  the  Banner  of  Light :  the 
Spirits  are  eager  for  investigation,  but  benighted  men  in  the  flesh 
cannot  make  the  conditions,  and  thus  continue  to  wallow  in  darkness. 
The  Spirits  are  kind.  They  do  not  damn  those  poor  benighted 
ones,  but  still  hold  out,  in  beautiful  optimism,  the  hope  that  all  those 
who  do  want  to  know  the  truth  will  find  it ! 

Another  lady,  Mrs.  Y.,  is  now  called  upon  to  put  herself  under 
Spirit-guidance,  and  she  thereupon  proceeds  to  enlighten  the  sheep-fold 
how  it  is  possible  that  these  flowers  and  branches  and  turtles  can  come 
through  solid  walls  and  closed  windows.  "  It  is  all  awfully  simple ;  It 
is  nothing  but  projection  !  The  Spirits  understand  the  laws  of  electric 


J-UJ. 

projection;  even  the  electric  forces  themselves  understand  the  laws  of 
nature  and  the  currents.  The  electric  force  snatches  the  flower,  or 
plant,  and  propels  it  along  invisible  wires.  There  is  no  such  thing  as 
solid  substance,  matter  is  permeable  to  these  forces,  and,  therefore,  it 
is  easy  to  see  how  a  terrapin  can  come  quick  as  lightning  through  a 
wall.',     (Verbatim.) 

Mr.  Copeland  is  now  called  upon  to  give  the  audience  some  tests, 
a  rather  inoffensive  looking  young  man  with  hair  standing  up.  The 
light  is  turned  down;  he  jerks  his  head  and  body,  passes  his  hand  over 
his  eyes  and  begins  to  talk  in  broken,  childish  sentences.  A  little 
Indian  maid  now  controls  him.  The  maid  describes  a  tall,  bony, 
black-haired  gentleman  standing  near  me,  with  a  fatherly  look ;  he  is 
Charley,  and  holds  something,  as  if  I  were  undertaking  some  grand 
enterprise.  But  as  I  do  not  know  Charley,  Charley  disappears,  and 
the  spirit  of  a  Quaker  gentleman  comes  to  a  lady  not  far  from  me — 
all  right.  Soon,  however,  the  maid  is  at  me  again.  This  time  it  is 
William.  He  has  something  chemical,  like  a  discovery.  Have  I  not 
been  across  the  water  where  people  had  the  cholera  and  turned  black 
and  died?  Did  I  not  very  much  disappoint  a  young  lady  over  there? 
Did  I  give  her  a  ring?  Margaret,  or  some  name  like  that,  now  comes 
around.  Have  I  never  seen  the  Medium  before?  No.  Then  I  should 
pay  him  a  visit.  Wants  to  talk  with  me  about  my  past  and  future. 
Has  much  to  say ;  and  so  on.  Do  I  not  go  often  into  a  building  where 
many  persons  work  at  chemistry  ?  Am  I  not  sceptical  ? — rather.  Wants 
to  cure  my  scepticism,  and  so  on,  ad  nauseam.  Me  is  tired,  me  wants 
go.  Again  the  jerks,  the  rubbing  of  the  eyes,  and  the  Indian  maid  is 
once  more  Mr.  Copeland. 

Seance  terminates  with  the  payment  of  one  dollar,  cash,  at  9.30  p.m. 

Stifling  atmosphere  breathed  for  1J  hours,  for  what?     Quelle  betisef 

Geo.  A.  Koenig. 


Saturday,  March  26th,  1887. 

I  attended  a  seance  at  the  house  of  Col.  Kase,  1601  North  15th  Street, 
on  Thursday  evening,  March  24th,  Mrs.  Wells  acting  as  Medium. 
There  were  about  thirty  persons  present,  of  whom  several  seemed  to  be 
Mediums.  The  seance  was  held  in  the  sitting-room  in  the  second 
story — a  room  separated  by  double  doors  from  a  smaller  room  behind. 
The  back  room,  used  as  a  Cabinet,  was  shut  off  by  portieres,  and  the  per- 
sons were  arranged  in  front  of  the  curtains,  in  the  form  of  a  deep  curve, 


102 

Dr.  Leidy,  Dr.  Knerr  and  myself  being  put  in  the  second  row.  Mrs. 
Thayer  directed  us  where  to  sit.  The  room  in  which  we  sat  was  lighted 
by  a  single  gas-jet,  situated  some  distance  behind  the  spectators;  a  piece 
of  music  was  placed  before  this  to  prevent  any  direct  light  from  fall- 
ing on  the  curtains,  and  the  gas  was  turned  very  low.  Mrs.  Wells 
entered  the  room  used  as  a  Cabinet,  and  took  her  seat  in  a  chair 
opposite  the  curtains.     Mrs.  Thayer  closed  the  curtains. 

After  some  time  Spirits  began  to  show  themselves  one  by  one  between 
the  curtains,  and  to  whisper.  Mrs.  Thayer  stepped  forward  and  inter- 
preted for  them,  calling  up  persons  in  the  circle  to  receive  communica- 
tions. The  forms  were  very  indistinct  from  the  circle,  and  apparently 
not  very  distinct  to  those  called  up,  as  they  expressed  some  dissatisfac- 
tion. One  man  called  up  to  speak  with  his  daughter  (one  of  the  better 
forms)  remarked  that  he  "  saw  her  putty  good,  but  not  very."  One  or 
two  of  the  forms  stepped  out  in  front  of  the  curtains  (one  was  dressed 
as  a  man,  one  purported  to  be  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots),  but  they  did  not 
advance  to  the  circle,  and  the  light  was  so  dim  that  they  could  not  be 
seen  at  all  clearly.  Only  on  one  or  two  occasions  two  forms  appeared 
at  once,  and  then  not  in  front  of  the  curtains,  but  one  on  each  side  of 
one  of  the  curtains — this  curtain  being  pulled  together,  as  though 
some  one  were  reaching  around  behind  it.  The  appearance  could  very 
readily  have  been  made  by  the  Medium's  appearing  between  the  two 
curtains,  and  holding  up  a  bit  of  drapery  at  the  side  of  one  of  them. 
The  audience  was  evidently  an  uncritical  one.  When  a  Spirit 
called  for  her  husband,  Mrs.  Thayer,  the  interpreter,  asked,  "Has 
anyone  here  a  wife  on  the  other  side  ?  "  An  old  man  present  stated 
that  his  had  died  two  years  before.  He  asked  if  the  Spirit's  name 
were  May.  When  he  came  back  to  his  seat,  I  heard  him  remark  to 
his  neighbor  that  that  "  must  have  been  her,  but  she  had  more  flesh  on 
than  when  I  knew  her."  No  examination  was  made  before  or  after 
the  stance  of  either  room  or  Medium,  and  no  tests  of  any  sort  were 
applied.    The  seance  lasted  about  an  hour  and  a-half. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton, 

Secretary. 

(Copied  and  arranged  from  notes  made  in  the  car  on  the  way  home 
from  this  seance — Saturday  evening,  March  26th,  1887.) 

N.  B. — I  have  neglected  to  state  (though  it  is  mentioned  in  my  notes) 
that  the  seance  was  commenced  by  an  "invocation"  from  Mrs.  Cole- 
man, who  sat  near  the  curtains.     It  was  in  no  wise  remarkable. 

G.  S.  P. 


103 


Dr.  Leidy. 

The  undersigned,  a  member  of  The  Seybert  Commission,  appointed 
by  the  University,  in  company  with  one  or  more  of  the  other  members, 
at  different  times,  from  March,  1884,  to  April,  1887,  attended  twelve 
seances  with  reputed  Spiritualist  Mediums.  Led  to  view  Spiritualism 
with  the  respect  due  to  its  importance,  based  on  the  reflection  that 
many  of  the  most  intelligent  and  honorable  of  the  community  had  be- 
come convinced  of  its  truth,  I  undertook  the  investigation  of  the  subject 
free  from  conscious  prejudice,  and  with  a  desire  to  observe  with  unbi- 
ased judgment  the  phenomena  which  might  be  presented  to  me  in  the 
seances  of  Spiritualist  Mediums.  Of  the  dozen  seances  attended  in 
company  with  other  members  of  the  Commission,  five  were  held  with 
three  Slate- writing  Mediums,  two  with  as  many  Rapping  Mediums, 
and  five  with  four  Materializing  Mediums.  All  the  Mediums  possessed 
more  or  less  celebrity  as  such  among  the  advocates  of  Spiritualism.  I 
further  attended,  unaccompanied  by  members  of  the  Commission,  three 
seances,  of  which  one  was  held  with  one  of  the  former  Materializing 
Mediums,  and  two  with  other  Rapping  Mediums. 

The  reputed  phenomena  or  manifestations  were  carefully  observed, 
as  far  as  circumstances  would  permit,  i.  e.,  under  the  conditions  ordi- 
narily exacted  by  Mediums. 

I  have  kept  a  record  of  my  observations  of  the  Spiritualist  seances,  but 
it  is  unnecessary  to  relate  them  here.  As  the  result  of  my  experience 
thus  far,  I  must  confess  that  I  have  witnessed  no  extraordinary  mani- 
festation, such  as  we  ordinarily  hear  described  as  evidence  of  commu- 
nication between  this  and  the  Spirit  world.  On  the  contrary,  all  the 
exhibitions  I  have  seen  have  been  complete  failures  in  what  was  at- 
tempted or  expected,  or  they  have  proved  to  be  deceptions  and  tricks  of 
jugglery.  Sometimes  accompanied  by  buffoonery,  I  never  saw  in  them 
anything  solemn  or  impressive,  and  never  did  they  give  the  slightest 
positive  information  of  interest.  Having  thus  far  failed  to  discover 
anything  in  evidence  of  the  truth  of  Spiritualism,  I  yet  remain  ready 
to  receive  such  evidence  from  an  honest  Medium. 

One  of  the  Slate-writing  Mediums,  with  whom  we  held  several  se- 
ances, relieved  the  tedium  of  waiting  for  a  slate-communication  by 
writing  in  pencil  on  slips  of  paper,  under  Spirit  control,  as  we  were 
assured,  communications  from  a  succession  of  Spirits.  The  hand  of 
these  communications  was  good,  and  in  each  one  different  as  it  would 
appear  from  different  individuals.  There  was,  however,  in  all  a  simi- 
larity of  expression  and  grammatical  construction,  which  indicated  a 


104 

want  of  entire  Spirit  control.  One  of  these  communications,  in  my 
possession,  reads  literally  thus: 

u  People  have  thought  my  manner  and  habit  very  strange  indeed 
regarding  the  Truth  of  Spirit  control  There  has  been  many  things 
practiced  which  I  see  now  was  wrong  and  foolish  yet  the  Truth  stills 
exist  that  we  can  come  back  and  make  ourselves  felt  you  ask  if  I  am 
pleased  with  what  Thomas  [probably  Thomas  K.  Hazard,  who  was  with 
us  at  the  time]  is  doing  I  am  in  many  respects  though  there  are  things 
best  left  undone  and  unsaid  You  are  perfectly  aware  of  my  past  feel- 
ings also  of  my  desire  to  have  the  truth  properly  investigated  which  I 
feel  it  will  be  and  the  Truth  and  Truth  only  sought  after  by  the  Com- 
mittee I  am  more  concious  now  than  a  time  back     Henry  Seybert" 

Another  communication  in  my  possession,  obtained  by  a  friend  from 
the  same  Medium,  at  another  seance,  is  in  an  equally  good  and  strik- 
ingly different  hand  from  the  former,  and  reads  thus:  "Yes  both  of 
those  Spirits  were  there  and  were  plainly  seen  There  was  others  there 
that  were  imperceptable    Alice  Cary" 

As  examples  of  communications,  in  irregular  scrawls  on  slips  of 

paper,  in  my  possession,  thrown  from  behind  a  screen  by  a  Materialized 

Spirit,  at  a  seance  of  Mr.  Keeler,  are  the  following:  "Hello  folks"  "Oh 

I  am  a  big  slugger"  "How  is  your  nose  Doc"  "I  am  seeing  the  sad 

result  of  my  work.     H.  Seibert"  [sic].     The  punctuation  and  spelling 

are  carefully  copied. 

Joseph  Leidy. 


THE  SLADE-ZOELLNER  INVESTIGATION. 

Perhaps  no  other  investigation  of  Spiritistic  phenomena  has  exer- 
cised so  strong  an  influence  upon  the  public  mind  in  America,  at  least, 
as  that  conducted  by  Professor  J.  C.  F.  Zoellner  and  his  colleagues  in 
Leipsic  in  1877  and  1878.  In  November  and  December  of  the  year 
1877  and  in  May  of  1878,  Professor  Zoellner  had  a  number  of  seances 
with  Dr.  Henry  Slade,  the  American  Medium,  in  Leipsic,  the  results 
of  which  he  has  narrated  in  his  "  Scientific  Treatises,"  and  which  he 
finds  of  special  interest  in  connection  with  certain  physical  specu- 
lations with  which  he  was  before  this  time  occupied.  He  declares 
himself  specially  authorized  to  mention  by  name  as  present  at  some  of 
his  investigations  his  colleagues,  Professors  Fechner  and  Scheibuer,  of 
the  University  of  Leipsic,  and  Professor  "Weber  of  Goettingen.  These 
three,  he  states,  were  perfectly  convinced  of  the  reality  of  the  observed 


105 

facts,  and  that  they  were  not  to  be  attributed  to  imposture  or  prestidi- 
gitation. He  also  mentions  the  presence  of  Professor  Wundt  at  at  least 
one  of  the  sittings. 

The  phenomena  narrated  by  Zoellner — the  bursting  of  the  wooden 
screen,  the  passages  of  coins  out  of  closed  boxes,  the  abnormal  actions 
of  the  solid  wooden  rings,  the  tying  of  knots  in  the  endless  cord,  the 
prints  made  upon  smoked  paper  by  the  feet  of  four-dimentional  beings 
— all  these  have  become  classic  in  Spiritistic  literature,  and  the 
accounts  may  be  obtained  in  convenient  form  collected,  arranged 
and  translated  into  English  by  Mr.  C.  C.  Massey,  of  Lincoln's  Inn, 
London. 

Of  these  phenomena  themselves,  verification  is,  at  this  late  date, 
manifestly  out  of  the  question.  The  only  published  accounts  are  those 
made  by  Zoellner,  and  in  the  absence  of  notes  made  at  the  time,  all  de- 
scriptions of  phenomena  given  now  by  the  other  persons  present  would 
be  valueless,  except  as  indicating  the  impression  made  upon  them  at  the 
time  by  the  occurrences. 

But,  though  the  phenomena  themselves  cannot  be  satisfactorily 
sifted,  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  the  investigation  are,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Zoellner  himself,  still  living,  and  it  occurred  to  me  when  in 
Germany  during  the  past  summer,  that  a  conference  with  each  of  these 
men,  and  an  inquiry  into  their  qualifications  for  making  such  an  inves- 
tigation into  the  phenomena  of  Spiritism,  might  be  of  no  small  value. 
These  men  are :  William  Wundt,  Professor  of  Philosophy  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Leipsic  ;  Gustav  Theodore  Fechner,  now  Professor  Emeritus 
of  Physics  in  the  University  of  Leipsic;  W.  Scheibner,  Professor  of 
Mathematics  in  the  University  of  Leipsic;  and  Wilhelm  Weber,  Profes- 
sor Emeritus  of  Physics  in  the  University  of  Goettingen — all  of  them 
men  of  eminence  in  their  respective  lines  of  scholarship. 

On  Saturday,  June  19th,  I  called  upon  Professor  Wundt  at  his  home 
in  Leipsic;  with  respect  to  the  investigation  of  1877-78  he  gave  me 
the  following  information,  which  I  noted  down  during  my  conversation 
with  him,  asking  him  to  repeat  the  points  mentioned  as  I  noted  them, 
so  as  to  avoid  any  error  or  misunderstanding,  and  which  I  copied  out, 
with  merely  verbal  changes,  two  days  later. 

Professor  Wundt  said : 

1.  That  at  the  seances  at  which  he  himself  was  present  (and  he  was 
present  at  two  or  three  of  them)  the  conditions  of  observation  were  very 
unsatisfactory.  All  hands  had  to  be  kept  on  the  table,  and  no  one  was 
allowed  to  look  under  it. 

2.  That  all  that  he  saw  done  looked  as  if  it  might  have  been  done 
by  jugglery. 


106 

3.  That  the  writing  on  slates  was  very  suspicious — the  German  was 
bad,  just  such  German  as  Slade  spoke. 

4.  That  Professor  Weber,  who  was  present  at  the  sittings,  was  a  very- 
old  man  at  the  time,  and  presumably  not  an  acute  observer. 

5.  That  Professor  Fechner,  another  of  those  present,  was  afflicted 
with  an  incipient  cataract,  and  could  see  very  little. 

6.  That  Professor  Zoellner  himself  was  at  the  time  decidedly  not  in 
his  right  mind  ;  his  abnormal  mental  condition  being  clearly  indicated 
in  his  letters  and  in  his  intercourse  with  his  family. 

7.  That  he  (Professor  Wundt)  had  not  a  high  respect  for  the  scien- 
tific judgment  of  Professor  Ulrici,  of  Halle,  who  had  been  so  much  im- 
pressed by  the  report  made  by  Professor  Zoellner  ;  Professor  Ulrici  he 
thought  literary  and  poetical,  but  not  scientific. 

It  will  be  seen  that  some  of  the  points  mentioned  by  Professor 
Wundt  are  suggestive ;  but  I  will  postpone  an  examination  of  his 
statements,  as  of  those  of  each  of  the  others,  until  they  have  all  been 
given  and  can  be  compared. 

On  the  same  day  (June  19th)  I  called  upon  Professor  Fechner,  also 
at  his  home  in  Leipsic.  Professor  Fechner,  who  no  longer  lectures, 
being  old  and  feeble,  and  suffering  from  cataract  of  the  eyes,  made  the 
following  statements,  each  of  which  I  translated  to  him  for  his  approval, 
after  I  had  set  it  down : 

1.  That  he  himself  was  present  at  but  two  sittings,  and  that  these 
were  not  very  decisive. 

2.  That  he  did  not  look  upon  Slade  as  a  juggler,  but  accepted  the 
objective  reality  of  the  facts ;  that  he  did  this,  however,  not  on  the 
strength  of  his  own  observations,  for  these  were  unsatisfactory,  but  be- 
cause he  had  faith  in  Professor  Zoellner's  powers  of  observation. 

3.  That  what  he  saw  might  have  been  produced  by  juggling. 

4.  That  the  sittings  at  which  he  was  present  were  held  at  night,  and 
that  he  could  not  remember  what  sort  of  a  light  they  had. 

5.  That  Zoellner's  mental  derangement  came  on  very  gradually,  so 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  say  when  it  began  ;  but  that  from  the  time 
of  his  experiments  with  Slade  it  was  more  pronounced.  He  (Fechner) 
did  not  think,  however,  that  it  incapacitated  Zoellner  as  an  observer, 
the  derangement  being  emotional ;  but,  such  as  it  was,  it  was  clearly 
shown  in  his  family  and  in  his  intercourse  with  friends. 

6.  Professor  Fechner  referred  me  to  Professors  Scheibner  and 
Weber  for  information,  saying  that  these  two  were  present  at  most  of 
the  sittings. 


107 

I  failed  at  this  time  to  meet  Professor  Scheibner,  who,  though  resident 
in  Leipsic,  happened  to  be  away  from  home  on  a  visit ;  but,  having  made 
an  appointment  with  him  by  letter,  I  returned  to  Leipsic  on  July  3d, 
and  called  upon  him  at  his  home ;  upon  this  occasion  he  gave  me 
more  full  and  satisfactory  details  concerning  Professor  Zoellner's  in- 
vestigation than  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  from  any  of  the  others.  The 
notes  which  I  made  during  my  conversation  with  him  I  translated  to 
him,  and  corrected  in  accordance  with  his  suggestions  before  leaving 
his  house.  After  my  return  to  Halle  I  copied  my  notes  out  in  full, 
and  sent  them  by  mail  to  Professor  Scheibner,  with  the  request  that  he 
correct  them  and  return  them  to  me  at  Berlin,  signing  his  name  to 
them  if  they  correctly  represented  his  opinions.  In  answer  he  enclosed 
me  the  copy  which  I  had  sent  him,  corrected  where  he  thought  the 
notes  inexact,  and  an  accompanying  letter,  stating  that  he  did  not  for- 
bid me  to  use  the  material  which  he  had  given  me,  but  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  set  his  name  to  any  publication,  if  only  for  the  reason  that  he 
was  not  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  English  to  judge  accurately  as  to 
the  shades  of  meaning,  and  thus  could  not  say  whether  he  accurately 
agreed  with  the  notes  as  they  stand,  or  not. 

The  copy  which  he  corrected  and  returned  to  me  I  place  at  length 
in  this  Report,  merely  translating  his  corrections  (very  literally),  and 
inserting  them  at  the  points  indicated  by  himself.  They  are  enclosed 
in  quotation  marks.  In  some  instances,  my  desire  for  exactitude  in 
the  translations  has  resulted  in  very  bad  English ;  the  shape  of  my 
own  paragraphs  is  due  to  the  time  and  manner  of  their  framing,  and  to 
a  reluctance  to  making  any  changes  in  their  form  afterwards. 

The  copy  reads  as  follows: 

On  July  3d,  1886,  I  visited  Professor  W.  Scheibner,  at  his  rooms, 
in  Leipsic,  and  obtained  from  him  the  following  information  concerning 
Professor  Zoellner's  Spiritistic  experiments  with  Dr.  Henry  Slade,  the 
American  Medium : 

1.  Professor  Scheibner  thinks  that  he  was  present  at  three  or  four 
of  the  regular  seances  with  Slade.  Slade  came  to  Professor  Zoellner's 
rooms;  they  sat  around  a  table  for  perhaps  half  an  hour,  and  then, 
after  the  seance  was  over,  they  spent  an  hour  or  two  sitting  informally 
in  the  same  room,  or  in  the  next  room,  and  talking.  During  these  in- 
formal conversations  surprising  things  would  occur.  Raps  would  now 
and  then  be  heard,  and  objects  would  unexpectedly  be  thrown  about 
the  room.  In  these  conversations  Professor  Scheibner  was  present  per- 
haps five  or  six  times.  Some  of  these  took  place  during  the  day,  and 
some  in  the  evening. 


108 

2.  Professor  Scheibner  said  that  each  single  thing  that  he  saw  might 
possibly  have  been  jugglery,  "although  he  perceived  nothing  that  raised 
a  direct  suspicion." 

The  whole  number  of  incidents  taken  together,  however,  surprised 
him,  and  seemed  scarcely  explicable  as  jugglery,  for  there  did  not  seem 
to  be  the  necessary  time  or  means  for  preparing  so  many  tricks,  "which 
often  connected  themselves  surprisingly  with  desires  casually  expressed 
in  momentary  conversations." 

Professor  Scheibner  said,  however,  that  he  did  not  regard  himself  as 
competent  to  form  an  opinion  which  should  have  scientific  weight,  be- 
cause: 

(a)  He  knows  nothing  about  jugglery; 

(6)  He  was  merely  a  passive  spectator,  and  could  not,  properly 
speaking,  make  observations — could  not  suggest  conditions,  "or  gain 
the  control  which  seemed  necessary ;"  and 

(c)  He  is  short-sighted,  "and  might  easily  have  left  unnoticed  some- 
thing essential." 

He  says  merely,  that  to  him,  subjectively,  jugglery  did  not  seem  a 
good  "  or  sufficient "  explanation  of  the  phenomena. 

3.  Professor  Scheibner  said  that  he  had  never  seen  anything  of  the 
kind  before.  He  had  never  even,  since  his  childhood,  seen  any  exhi- 
bitions of  jugglery;  he  does  not  go  to  see  such  thiugs,  because  he  is  so 
short-sighted  that  if  he  went  he  would  see  nothing.  In  this  connection 
he  repeated  his  statement  that  from  this,  among  other  causes,  he  did 
not  regard  himself  as  competent  to  give  an  opinion.  He  said  that  many 
persons  in  Germany  had  demanded  his  opinion,  but  that  he  had  refused 
it  because  he  regarded  his  subjective  impression,  without  objective  proofs, 
as  scientifically  valueless. 

4.  Professor  Scheibner  said  that  he  did  not  believe  in  these  things 
before.  He  came  to  the  seances  because  Professor  Zoellner  was  a  per- 
sonal friend.     He  has  seen  very  little  of  the  sort  since. 

That  little  has  been  in  the  presence  of  a  lady  in  Leipsic  through 
whom  raps  occurred,  and  psychography.  This  last  phenomenon  consisted 
in  communication  through  a  little  contrivance,  furnished  with  an  index 
or  pointer,  which  answered  questions  by  pointing  to  letters  laid  out  be- 
fore it.  This  it  did  when  the  lady  placed  her  hand  on  the  machine. 
The  questions  were  "usually"  not  asked  mentally,  but  spoken  out. 
There  were  no  tests  applied  to  these  phenomena,  no  conditions  of  exact 
investigation.  Professor  Scheibner  "  holds  suspicion  of  conscious  decep- 
tion to  be  out  of  the  question." 

5.  Professor  Zoellner  was,  said  Professor  Scheibner,  a  man  of  keen 


109 

mind,  but  in  his  investigations  apt  to  see  "by  preference"  what  lay  in 
the  path  of  his  theory.  He  could  "less  easily"  see  what  was  against 
his  theory.  He  was  childlike  and  trustful  in  character,  and  might 
easily  have  been  deceived  by  an  impostor.  He  expected  everyone  to 
be  honest  and  frank  as  he  was.  He  started  with  the  assumption  that 
Slade  meant  to  be  honest  with  him.  He  would  have  thought  it  wrong 
to  doubt  Slade's  honesty.  Professor  Zoellner,  said  Professor  Scheibner, 
set  out  to  find  proof  for  four-dimentional  space,  in  which  he  was  already 
inclined  to  believe.     His  whole  thought  was  directed  to  that  point. 

6.  Professor  Scheibner  thinks  that  the  mental  disturbance  under 
which  Zoellner  suffered  later,  might  be  regarded  as,  at  this  time,  incipi- 
ent. He  became  more  and  more  given  to  fixing  his  attention  on  a  few 
ideas,  and  incapable  of  seeing  what  was  against  them.  Towards  the  last 
he  was  passionate  when  criticized.  Professor  Scheibner  would  not  say  that 
Professor  Zoellner's  mental  disturbance  was  pronounced  and  full-formed, 
so  to  speak,  but  that  it  was  incipient,  and,  if  Zoellner  had  lived  longer 
would  have  fully  developed.  Zoellner  himself,  "  whose  brothers  and 
sisters  frequently*  suffered  from  mental  disease,  often  feared  lest  a  simi- 
lar fate  should  come  upon  him." 

7.  Professor  Scheibner  gives  no  opinion  on  Spiritism.  He  can  only 
say  that  he  cannot  explain  the  phenomena  that  he  saw. 

8.  Professor  Weber,  said  Professor  Scheibner,  "  attended  the  Zoell- 
ner-Slade  experiments  under  the  same  circumstances  as  he  (Scheibner) 
himself." 

9.  Professor  Zoellner's  book,  said  Professor  Scheibner,  would  create 
the  impression  that  Weber  and  Fechner  and  he  agreed  with  Zoellner 
throughout  in  his  opinion  of  the  phenomena  "  and  their  interpretation ;" 
but  this,  he  said,  is  not  the  case. 

Halle  a.  S.,  July  5th,  1886. 

So  much  for  the  information  given  by  Professor  Scheibner.  It  now 
remained  to  see  Professor  Wilhelm  Weber,  and  on  the  evening  of  July 
12th  I  called  upon  him  at  his  house  in  Goettingen.  Of  his  statements 
I  took  notes  during  my  conversation  with  him,  as  in  the  former 
instances,  and  copied  and  arranged  them  the  same  evening  at  my  hotel. 
Professor  Weber  is  now  eighty-three  years  old,  and  does  not  lecture. 
He  is  extremely  excitable  and  somewhat  incoherent  when  excited.  I 
found  it  difficult  to  induce  him  to  talk  slowly  enough,  and  systematically 
enough,  for  me  to  make  my  notes.     Professor  Weber  said : 

*  "Dessen  Geschwister  niehrfach"  etc. — the  words  may  be  taken  in  two  senses. 


110 

1.  That  he  thought  the  things  he  saw  in  the  seances  with  Slade  were 
different  from  jugglery. 

2.  That  he  did  not  think  there  was  time  or  opportunity  for  Slade  to 
prepare  deceptions. 

3.  That  he  himself  knew  nothing  of  jugglery,  nor  did  Professor 
Zoellner. 

4.  That  he  can  testify  to  the  facts  as  described  by  Zoellner,  and  that 
he  could  not  himself  have  described  the  occurrences  better  than  they 
are  described  in  Zoellner's  book : — to  the  facts  he  is  willing  to  testify, 
the  means  he  declares  unknown  to  him,  but  does  not  regard  jugglery  as 
a  sufficient  explanation.  If  another  can  understand,  he  said,  how 
jugglery  can  explain  the  facts,  well  and  good — he  can  not. 

5.  That  he  had  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  before,  and  has  not 
since  ;  it  being  his  only  experience  of  Spiritualism. 

6.  That  he  had  the  greatest  freedom  to  experiment  and  set  condi- 
tions, and  that  the  conditions  were  favorable  to  observation. 

7.  That  he  regarded  Professor  Fechner  as  one  of  the  best  observers 
in  the  world,  and  Professor  Scheibner  as  an  excellent  observer. 

8.  That  Professor  Zoellner  was  not  at  that  time,  in  any  sense,  in  an 
abnormal  mental  condition. 

Professor  Weber  seemed  unwilling  to  speak  decidedly  on  the  subject, 
but  showed  that  he  leaned  to  the  Spiritistic  interpretation  of  the  facts. 
He  said  that  the  things  done  indicated  intelligence  on  the  part  of  the  doer. 

Having  now  before  us  the  testimony  given  by  these  survivors  of  the 
famous  investigation,  I  will  collect  briefly  the  facts  relating  to  each  of 
those  concerned — adding  in  one  or  two  cases  from  other  sources — and 
point  out  the  nature  and  value  of  their  testimony  to  the  occurrences 
recorded  by  Professor  Zoellner. 

1.  As  to  Professor  Wundt,  who  is  by  profession  an  experimental 
psychologist,  and  an  observer.  Professor  Wundt  did  not  regard  the 
investigation,  so  far  as  he  participated,  as  in  any  respect  thorough  or 
satisfactory.  The  conditions  of  observation  were  not  present.  When 
called  upon  by  Professor  Ulrici  to  describe  the  occurrences  as  he  saw 
them,  he  said  he  would  not  willingly  describe  what  he  had  not  had 
opportunity  to  observe. 

2.  As  to  Professor  Zoellner,  the  chief  witness  and  author  of  the  book 
published,  a  number  of  points  are  worthy  of  note. 

(1.)  The  question  of  his  mental  condition  at  the  time  of  the  investiga- 
tion. It  is  asserted  by  Baron  Hellenbach  (see  Geburt  und  Tod  etc., 
Wien,  1885,  S.  96)  that  Zoellner  was  of  sound  mind  up  to  his  death. 


Ill 

The  statement  should  have  due  weight,  but  the  author's  general  atti- 
tude towards  Spiritism  should  not  be  overlooked.  I  do  not  consider 
his  testimony  for  Zoellner's  sanity  as  good  as  that  of  Fechner  or 
Scheibner  against.  Of  the  four  men  mentioned  as  connected  with  him, 
Wundt,  Weber,  Fechner  and  Scheibner,  three  (all  except  Weber)  are 
decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  his  mental  condition  was  not  normal.  The 
opinion  of  Wundt,  as  of  a  man  whose  profession  would  not  permit  him 
to  speak  hastily  upon  this  topic,  I  would  regard  as  of  special  value ; 
but  if  we  rule  that  out  upon  the  ground  that  Wundt  was  not  impressed 
by  the  investigation,  and  might  naturally  be  inclined  to  underrate 
Zoellner,  who  was,  we  have  left  the  opinions  of  Fechner  and  Scheib- 
ner, both  Zoellner's  colleagues  at  Leipsic,  both  particular  friends  of 
Zoellner,  and  both  inclined  to  agree  with  him  as  to  the  reality  of  the 
facts  he  describes.  Both  of  them  regarded  Zoellner  at  the  time  as  of 
more  or  less  unsound  mind.  His  disease,  as  described  by  them,  seems 
to  have  been  chiefly  emotional,  showing  itself  in  a  passionate  dislike  of 
contradiction,  and  a  tendency  to  overlook  any  evidence  contrary  to  a 
cherished  theory. 

To  the  general  change  in  his  nature  due  to  his  disease  Professor 
Scheibner  testifies ;  and  Professor  Fechner's  belief  as  to  his  mental  con- 
dition is  specially  worthy  of  note  from  the  fact  that,  although  recogniz- 
ing it  to  be  abnormal,  he  still  holds  his  powers  of  observation  to  be 
sound,  and  upon  this  ground  is  inclined  to  assent  to  the  facts  described. 
If  anyone  could  be  tempted  to  make  Zoellner  as  sane  as  possible,  it 
would  be  one  in  the  position  of  Professor  Fechner.  Professor  Weber's 
testimony  I  will  examine  later.  Upon  the  question  whether  the  pecu- 
liar form  of  Zoellner's  disease  would  be  likely  to  affect  his  powers  of 
observation,  the  following  points  may  throw  some  light. 

(2.)  It  is  evident,  both  from  what  Zoellner  has  himself  printed  and 
from  what  Professor  Scheibner  has  said,  that  Zoellner's  interest  in  the 
investigation  centered  in  his  attempt  to  prove  experimentally  what  he 
already  held  to  be  speculatively  true  as  to  a  fourth  dimension  of  space. 
In  a  paper  published  in  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  Science,  for  April, 
1878,  he  says: 

"  At  the  end  of  my  first  treatise,  already  finished  in  manuscript  in 
the  course  of  August,  1877,  I  called  attention  to  the  circumstance  that 
a  certain  number  of  physical  phenomena,  which,  by  '  synthetical  con- 
clusions a  priori,'  might  be  explained  through  the  generalized  concep- 
tion of  space  and  the  platonic  hypothesis  of  projection,  coincided  with 
so-called  Spiritualistic  phenomena.  Cautiously,  however,  I  said  : — '  To 
those  of  my  readers  who  are  inclined  to  see  in  Spiritualistic  phenomena 


112 

an  empirical  confirmation  of  those  phenomena  above  deduced  in  regard 
to  their  theoretical  possibility,  I  beg  to  observe  that  from  the  point  of 
view  of  idealism  there  must  first  be  given  a  precise  definition  and 
criticism  of  objective  reality'  "  etc.  Now  this  reference  to  Spiritualistic 
phenomena  was  made  before  Zoellner  had  seen  anything  of  the  kind, 
and  his  attitude  was  evidently  a  receptive  one.  Moreover,  we  have 
Professor  Scheibner's  testimony  to  the  fact  that  during  the  whole 
investigation  his  attention  was  entirely  directed  towards  the  subject  of 
the  fourth  dimension,  and  an  experimental  demonstration  of  its 
existence.  Bearing  in  mind,  therefore,  the  mental  attitude  in  which, 
and  the  object  with  which,  Zoellner  approached  this  investigation,  we 
cannot  look  upon  any  subjective,  or  emotional,  mental  disturbance, 
which  results,  as  described,  in  making  him  narrow  his  attention  more 
and  more  upon  a  few  ideas,  and  disregard  or  find  it  difficult  to  observe 
what  seems  contrary  to  them,  as  without  objective  significance,  par- 
ticularly where  we  know  the  man  to  be  a  total  stranger  to  investiga- 
tions of  such  a  nature  as  this  one,  and  not  only  quite  ignorant  as  to 
possible  methods  of  deception,  but  unwilling  to  doubt  the  integrity  of 
the  Medium. 

(3.)  There  are  things  in  Zoellner's  own  accounts  which  indicate  a 
certain  lack  of  caution  and  accuracy  on  his  part,  and  tend  to  lessen 
one's  confidence  in  his  statements.  As  an  instance  of  inaccuracy,  I 
may  mention  the  statement  he  makes  in  his  article  in  the  Quarterly 
Journal  of  Science  as  to  the  opinions  of  his  colleagues.  Professor 
Zoellner  says : 

"  I  reserve  to  later  publication,  in  my  own  treatises,  the  description 
of  further  experiments  obtained  by  me  in  twelve  seances  with  Mr.  Slade, 
and,  as  I  am  expressly  authorized  to  mention,  in  the  presence  of  my 
friends  and  colleagues,  Professor  Fechner,  Professor  Wilhelm  Weber, 
the  celebrated  electrician  from  Goettingen,  and  Herr  Scheibner,  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  in  the  University  of  Leipsic,  who  are  perfectly 
convinced  of  the  reality  of  the  observed  facts,  altogether  excluding 
imposture  or  prestidigitation." 

Here  the  attitude  of  the  four  men  is  not  correctly  described,  and 
Professor  Zoellner's  statement  does  them  injustice,  as  Professor  Scheib- 
ner remarked.  At  least  two  of  the  men  were  merely  inclined  to  accept 
the  facts,  and  to  these  two  the  words  "perfectly  convinced"  will  not 
apply. 

As  one  out  of  numerous  instances  of  lack  of  caution,  I  may  refer  to 
Zoellner's  statements,  that  at  certain  times  writing  was  heard  upon  the 
slates,  giving  no  proof  whatever  to  show  that  the  writing  was  really 


113 

done  at  the  time  of  hearing  the  sounds,  and  apparently  quite  ignorant 
of  the  fact  that  deception  may  readily  be  practiced  on  this  point. 

3.  As  to  Professor  Fechner.  The  fact  is  admitted  that  he  was,  at 
the  time  of  the  investigation,  suffering  from  cataract,  which  made  all 
observation  extremely  defective.  Moreover,  he  was  present  at  but  two 
of  the  sittings,  and  has  stated  that  he  did  not  regard  these  as  very 
decisive.  His  attitude  towards  the  phenomena  described  is  based  on 
his  faith  in  Professor  Zoellner's  powers  of  observation,  and  not  on  what 
he  saw  himself.  He  does  not,  therefore,  as  an  independent  witness 
would,  add  anything  to  the  force  of  Professor  Zoellner's  testimony. 

4.  As  to  Professor  Scheibner.  His  position  is  simply  that  he  cannot 
see  how  the  whole  series  of  phenomena  can  reasonably  be  attributed  to 
jugglery,  though  he  admits  that  each  single  thing  he  saw,  alone  con- 
sidered, might  possibly  be.  He  does  not  regard  himself,  however,  as 
able  to  give  an  opinion  which  should  have  objective  value ;  because  he 
was  merely  a  passive  spectator,  and  could  not,  properly  speaking,  make 
observations — could  not  suggest  conditions, — because  he  knows  absolutely 
nothing  about  jugglery,  and  the  possibilities  of  deception,  and  because 
he  is  so  short-sighted  that  he  may  easily  have  overlooked  something 
of  importance — so  short-sighted  that  he  never  goes  to  see  a  juggler, 
because  he  sees  nothing. 

5.  As  to  the  last  witness,  Professor  Weber,  his  testimony  agrees  more 
decidedly  with  that  of  Professor  Zoellner.  He  was  present  at  eight 
seances,  declares  the  occurrences  to  have  been  as  represented  by  Pro- 
fessor Zoellner,  and  denies  that  Zoellner  was  in  any  sense  insane.  But 
Professor  Weber  is  from  Goettingen,  and  was  at  the  time  of  the  investi- 
gation in  Leipsic  on  a  visit ;  it  is  not  improbable  that  those  of  Professor 
Zoellner's  colleagues,  who  lived  and  worked  at  the  same  University 
with  him,  may  have  had  better  opportunities  for  judging  as  to  his 
mental  condition  than  one  who  only  saw  him  occasionally.  Moreover, 
Professor  Weber's  opinion  as  to  the  qualifications  of  the  men  with 
whom  he  was  associated  does  not  seem  to  have  been  always  sound. 
One  who  could  look  upon  Professor  Fechner  as  one  of  the  best  observers 
in  the  world,  and  Professor  Scheibner,  as  for  the  purpose  in  hand,  an 
excellent  observer,  neglecting  entirely  to  note  that  one  was  partly 
blind  and  that  the  other  could  not  see  well,  might  readily  overlook  the 
fact  of  a  not  very  pronounced  mental  aberration  on  the  part  of  a  third 
person.  And  as  to  Professor  Weber's  opinion  of  the  phenomena,  it  is 
well  to  note  that  Professor  Weber  was  seventy-four  years  old  at  the 
time,  had  had  no  previous  experience  in  investigations  of  this  kind 
and  was  quite  ignorant  of  the  arts  of  the  juggler.     Whatever  may  be 

8 


114 

a  man's  powers  of  reflection  at  seventy-four,  it  is  natural  to  suppose 
that  his  powers  of  perception,  especially  when  exercised  in  a  quite  new 
field,  are  not  at  that  age  what  they  were  some  years  previously. 

Summary. 

Thus  it  would  appear  that  of  the  four  eminent  men  whose  names 
have  made  famous  the  investigation,  there  is  reason  to  believe  one, 
Zoellner,  was  of  unsound  mind  at  the  time,  and  anxious  for  experi- 
mental verification  of  an  already  accepted  hypothesis ;  another,  Fech- 
ner,  was  partly  blind,  and  believed  because  of  Zoellner's  observations; 
a  third,  Scheibner,  was  also  afflicted  with  defective  vision,  and  not 
entirely  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  as  to  the  phenomena ;  and  a  fourth, 
Weber,  was  advanced  in  age,  and  did  not  even  recognize  the  disabilities 
of  his  associates.  No  one  of  these  men  had  ever  had  experiences  of 
this  sort  before,  nor  was  any  one  of  them  acquainted  with  the  ordinary 
possibilities  of  deception.  The  experience  of  our  Commission  with  Dr. 
Slade  would  suggest,  that  the  lack  of  such  knowledge  on  their  part  was 
unfortunate. 

A  consideration  of  all  these  circumstances  places,  it  seems  to  me, 
this  famous  investigation  in  a  somewhat  new  light,  and  any  estimate 
of  Zoellner's  testimony,  based  merely  upon  the  eminence  in  science  of 
his  name  and  those  of  his  collaborateurs,  neglecting  to  give  attention 
to  their  disqualifications  for  this  kind  of  work,  cannot  be  a  fair  or  a 
true  estimate. 

In  concluding  this  Report,  I  give  sincere  thanks  to  all  of  these 
gentlemen  for  their  courtesy  and  frankness — a  frankness  which  has 
alone  made  it  possible  for  me  to  collect  this  evidence ;  and  which,  con- 
sidering the  nature  of  the  evidence,  must  be  regarded  as  most  gener- 
ous. To  Professor  Scheibner,  especially,  my  thanks  are  due  for  the 
trouble  he  has  taken  in  helping  me  to  make  my  notes  exact  and 

truthful. 

Geo.  S.  Fullerton. 


115 


Dr.  Knerr. 

In  1884  rumors  reached  me  of  remarkable  Spiritual  communications 
from  a  revered  friend  and  relative,  Dr.  Hering.  These  communica- 
tions had  come  through  a  slate-writing  Medium  by  the  name  of  Pat- 
terson, and  were  received  by  two  gentlemen  whose  names  I  am  not  at 
liberty  to  mention,  but  whom  I  will  call  A.  and  B.  Both  were  promi- 
nent men,  and  both  had  become  thorough  believers  in  Spiritualism  after 
several  sittings  with  Mrs.  Patterson.  A.  claimed  to  have  received 
personal  benefit  from  medicines  thus  prescribed,  and  learned  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  son's  death  which  had  occurred  in  some  mysterious 
manner  far  away  from  home.  B.  has  since  died,  and  communications 
under  his  signature  have  come  through  this  same  Medium. 

The  manifestations  in  this  province  of  Spiritualism,  Independent  Slate- 
Writing,  would  seem  to  be  of  a  nature  more  tangible  and  direct  than 
those  of  so-called  Materializing  or  Trance  Mediums,  and,  therefore, 
in  this  instance  I  determined  to  test  to  the  utmost  what  had  been 
reported  to  me  concerning  communications  from  one  who  stood  so  near 
in  life. 

Although  I  received  a  number  of  messages  at  my  first  visit,  written 
in  pencil,  in  many  different  handwritings,  which  the  Medium  alleged 
were  written  by  Spirit-control  of  her  hand,  I  received  but  one  or  two 
in  the  slate.  The  slate  was  a  small  double  slate,  joined  together 
with  hinges,  about  10  inches  by  12  inches  in  dimension.  Inside  of  the 
slates,  written  on  a  slip  of  paper,  carefully  folded,  I  placed  the  question 
"Can  I  obtain  a  communication  from  Dr.  Hering  which  will  be  char- 
acteristic of  himself?  "  A  small  piece  of  slate  pencil  chipped  from  an 
ordinary  pencil,  perhaps  an  eighth  of  an  inch  long,  was  placed  within 
the  slates,  together  with  the  written  question.  The  slates  were  then 
tightly  screwed  together  at  the  open  end,  by  myself,  with  the  blade  of 
an  old  knife  which  was  at  hand  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  screw- 
driver. It  was  then  placed  by  the  Medium  in  her  lap,  under  the 
table,  one  hand,  the  left,  resting  upon  the  slate,  the  other  hand 
remaining  on  top  of  the  table,  writing,  with  a  lead  pencil,  messages  in 
different  handwritings,  on  paper. 

These  messages  came  in  characters  bold  as  John  Hancock's,  and  in 
chirography  as  small  and  neat  as  the  writing  of  Charlotte  Bronte,  whose 
manuscript  the  compositor  is  said  to  have  deciphered  with  the  aid  of  a 
magnifying  glass ;  and  between  these  extremes  were  a  dozen  or  more 
styles  as  varied  and  marked  as  one  could  wish.  The  purport  of  these 
messages,  which  were  written  rather  quickly,  and  without  perceptible 


11G 

thought  or  hesitation,  changing  from  one  handwriting  to  another  with- 
out the  least  apparent  difficulty,  was  in  some  instances  the  veriest 
twaddle,  while  others  contained  tolerably  good  sense,  even  in  language 
rather  above  the  Medium,  unless  appearances  were  misleading,  for  she 
looked  the  embodiment  of  ignorant  simplicity,  and  spoke  far  from 
grammatically. 

The  table  at  which  we  sat  was  a  very  ordinary  little  sewing-table, 
without  any  drawer  or  compartment,  and  before  sitting  down  I 
examined  it  top  and  bottom,  a  privilege  freely  accorded.  We  had  sat 
about  ten  minutes  when  the  Medium  brought  up  the  slate  with  the 
little  piece  of  pencil,  which  I  had  scratched  with  a  knife  for  identifica- 
tion, lying  on  top  of  the  slate.  The  screw  was  in  its  place,  seemingly 
as  I  had  put  it.  I  was  requested  to  remove  the  screw,  which  I  did, 
and  found  written  across  the  inside  surface  of  one  of  the  slates  the 
words  "  I  will  try  to  accede  to  your  wish,"  signed  with  the  initials  of 
my  departed  friend,  to  whose  handwriting  it  was  not  dissimilar.  I 
was  much  puzzled  by  this  answer,  I  confess,  and  immediately 
placed  within  the  slates  another  question,  this  time  addressed  to  the 
name  of  another  deceased  friend.  Again  I  screwed  up  the  slates  with 
my  own  hand,  and  kept  my  eyes  riveted  on  the  hands  of  the  Medium 
as  well  as  my  position  would  permit,  without  getting  up  and  bending 
over  the  table.  I  did  not  have  long  to  wait  before  an  answer  came  as 
before,  again  signed  with  the  initials  of  the  person  addressed.  How 
the  writing  came  in  the  slate  I  could  not  surmise. 

The  following  are  specimens  of  the  communications  which  were 
written  by  the  Medium's  controlled,  possibly  self-controlled,  free,  right 
hand,  at  my  first  visit: — 

(In  a  fine,  light,  legible  hand.) 

Cannot  say  wether  we  can  control  the  slate  or  no.  will  do  our 
utmost  to  do  so  there  are  times  when  we  cannot  get  the  proper 
influences  nor  find  the  right  conditions.  C  Hering 


(In  a  close,  heavy  hand.) 

we  have  quite  as  much  power  over  you  as  over  any  other  medium, 
mediumistic  forces  are  not  confined  to  a  few,  but  exist  to  some  extent 
in  all.     be  patient  we  will  do  what  we  can.  H 


(In  a  sprawling  back  hand,  the  same  as  a  subsequent  one,  signed  Thomas  Lister.) 

The  friend  you  have  asked  for  is  here  and  will  do  what  he  can  to 
comply  with  your  wish  it  is  not  necessary  that  you  should  sit  with 


117 

any  medium  to  convince  yourself  of  this  truth  you  have  enough  of 
this  power  to  get  almost  any  sort  of  manifestations  you  should  ask  for 
they  will  develope  without  any  effort  on  your  part  but  you  can 
materially  assist  them  T  L 

(In  a  neat  and  precise  feminine  hand.) 

There  stands  by  thy  chair  a  venerable  man  who  had  passed  through 
many  years  of  work  in  his  profession  on  the  earth  plane  he  is  one 
that  doth  influence  and  impress  thee  to  do  many  things  when  in  the 
body  was  a  phisician  of  the  homeopathic  school  he  sayeth  that  he 
doth  feel  the  same  interest  in  the  progruss  of  the  medical  fraternity  as 
when  in  the  body,  appeareth  to  be  one  of  strict  integrity  and  ranked 
high  as  a  thinker  thou  hast  many  years  to  stay  in  the  form  and 
through  thee  a  work  will  be  completed  that  none  other  can  do 

L  Mott 

(In  a  small,  rather  indistinct  feminine  hand.) 

I  dont  think  the  doctors  knew  what  my  trouble  was.  I  know  if  doctor 
Hering  or  Raue  had  treated  my  case  I  would  still  be  in  my  body  but 
its  no  difference  as  far  as  I  am  concerned  I  have  found  this  life  far  the 
best  leaving  my  mother  was  hard,  but  now  I  know  how  to  get  back  to 
her  I  am  content  C  S  Clara  Swencke 


(In  a  plain  masculine  hand.) 

if  you  prepare  a  slate  the  doctor  will  give  you  a  message  on  it  in 
his  own  handwrite  and  one  characteristic  of  him  E8  W 


(In  a  small,  rather  illegible  hand.) 

My  friend  Tiedemann  made  a  mistake  in  the  medicine  he  prepared 
for  me  he  never  for  a  moment  thought  it  would  prove  anything  but  a 
help  but  it  had  the  effect  of  sending  me  to  the  higher  life 

W  Morwitzer 


(In  a  large,  generous,  open  hand.) 

Yea  if  thee  dost  fix  a  slate  so  as  to  satisfy  thyself  thy  friend  will 
write  on  it  and  give  thee  a  description  of  his  birth  into  everlasting  life 

Elias  Hicks 


(In  a  very  indistinct  feminine  hand.) 

cannot  say  wether  we  can  procure  the  presence  of  any  one  just  now 
that  can  write  music  were  it  possible  to  have  any  one  conversant  with 
it  they  could  not  only  write  one  but  many  notes  for  you 

(Signature  indistinct.) 


118 

(In  a  small,  cramped  hand  of  almost  microscopic  finecess  supposed  to  be  Charlotte  Bronte, 
and  occupying  but  very  little  more  space  than  on  this  printed  page. 

The  future  holds  much  for  you  of  success,  the  later  portion  of  this 
and  the  whole  of  the  next  will  be  filled  with  prosperity  you  have  a 
band  of  the  more  advanced  spirits  about  you  and  were  you  to  follow 
your  first  impressions  you  would  never  fail  in  your  judgment       C  B 


(In  a  clear  scholarly  hand.) 

a  man  of  few  words  when  in  the  body  I  still  have  the  same  peculi- 
arities will  with  your  permission  become  one  of  your  guiding  band 

Abernethy 


(In  a  bold  masculine  hand). 

Sit  for  ten  or  fifteen  minuets  two  evenings  in  the  week  and  thus  help 
perfect  the  powerful  gifts  you  have,  through  them  you  can  do  much 
good  both  for  others  and  yourself  T  N 


(In  the  same  hand  as  a  preceding  communication  signed  T  L.) 

Be  patient ;  the  party  that  wrote  on  the  slate  before  is  trying  to  do 

it  over  we  sometimes  have  a  difficulty  in  doing  this 

T  Lister 


(In  a  slow,  labored,  uncouth  hand.) 

I  know  one  thing  and  that  is  that  they  didn't  make  any  head- 
way in  killing  me  when  they  hung  me  nor  even  when  they  scooped  my 
brains  out  afterward — damn  the  doctors — damn  the  preachers — I  hate 
them  all  they  lied  to  me  preachers  priests  and  all  they  told  me  it 
was  all  right  but  I  have  found  out  its  all  wrong.  I  havent  seen  Mrs 
Reed  nor  do  I  want  to  I  never  was  sorry  that  I  killed  her,  it  don't  make 
a  saint  out  of  a  man  to  send  him  out  the  way  I  had  to  go — its  only  kill- 
ing— they  were  as  bad  as  I  was — I  cant  see — its  dark 

MC  Ginnis.* 


(In  an  ordinary  feminine  hand.) 

Put  a  piece  of  paper  on  a  stand  place  a  pencil  on  it  and  I  will  try 
to  make  the  scale  for  you  at  home  there  is  a  power  that  is  growing  on 
you  that  will  enable  me  to  do  this  in  a  few  times  of  trying  I  could 
write  my  own  hand  this  is  my  first  time  of  coming  here  so  that 
makes  it  harder  for  me  to  get  control  B 

*  McGinnis  was  a  murderer  recently  hung  for  (he  brutal  killing  of  his  mother- 
in-law.  Particulars  of  the  murder,  execution  and  autopsy  were  in  all  the  local 
papers. 


119 

(This  doggerel  came  in  answer  to  a  question  whether  the  Spirits  could  write  poetry,  and  is  in  a 
hand  not  dissimilar  to  the  preceding  communication,  although  the  signatures  differ.) 

When  the  clear  bright  sun  was  shining 

Then  they  took  my  cherished  form 
And  they  bore  it  to  the  church  yard 

To  consign  it  to  the  worm 

Well  no  matter  that  was  only 

The  clay  dress  your  loved  one  wore 
God  had  robed  her  for  an  angel 

She  had  need  of  this  no  more 

Though  the  tears  fell  fast  and  faster 

Yet  you  would  not  call  me  back 
Nay  be  glad  her  feet  no  longer 

Tread  life's  rough  and  thorny  track 

Yes  be  glad  the  father  took  her 

Took  her  whilst  her  heart  was  pure 

Oh  be  glad  he  did  not  leave  her 

All  life's  trials  to  endure 

AC 


(In  a  sprawling  hand.) 

Your  friend  has  lost  the  Control  I  cannot  say  wether  it  will  be 
possible  to  regain  it  now  or  no  I  find  it  hard  work  to  get  any  hold 
at  all.  A  M 


(Each  letter  distinct,  as  a  child  would  print  the  alphabet.) 

Chief  there  cant  come  any  answer  the  magnetic  current  is  broken 
for  want  of  power  we  go  now  but  will  come  in  your  own  wigwam 

Howondo 


At  the  following  seances  I  received  slate  writings  repeatedly.  Some- 
times the  slate  would  scarcely  be  in  the  Medium's  hands  before  a  mes- 
sage appeared,  each  time  with  the  little  pencil  on  top.  I  was  told  that 
I  was  an  excellent  Medium,  that,  if  I  cultivated  the  faculty,  would 
soon  myself  be  able  to  obtain  these  slate  writings.  I  was  also  asked  to 
prepare  a  slate  secured  in  any  way  I  wished,  and  had  the  promise  that 
a  message  would  be  written  within  it.  I  acceded  to  the  request  and 
took  a  slate  of  my  own,  tied  it  up  in  every  direction  with  twine,  and 


120 

put  my  private  seal  upon  it  in  several  places  where  I  had  knotted  the 
string.  This  slate  the  Spirits  could  not  overcome.  I  never  received 
the  promised  message.  I  never  even  had  the  slate  returned  to  me. 
After  remaining  in  the  Medium's  possession  for  several  months,  she 
having  changed  her  residence  in  the  meantime,  she  told  me  the  slate 
had  disappeared  and  somehow  must  have  gotten  lost  in  moving.  At 
any  rate  the  slate  had  been  spirited  away  somehow.  I  will  here  men- 
tion that  at  about  the  third  or  fourth  sitting  I  asked  permission  to  watch 
the  slate  while  it  was  under  the  table,  which  was  freely  granted,  but 
on  this  occasion,  and  whenever  I  did  so,  there  were  no  results. 

On  one  occasion  we  took  the  trouble  to  bring  Mrs.  Patterson  to  a 
room  in  the  house  of  our  departed  friend.  She  was  here  among  a  small 
circle  of  intimate  friends  and  members  of  the  family,  some  inclined  to 
belief  and  others  skeptics.  She  failed  utterly  to  obtain  as  much  as  even 
a  scratch  inside  of  the  slates,  although  communications  on  paper  came 
thick  and  fast.  I  may  mention  that  on  this  occasion  several  persons  sat 
with  the  slate  continually  in  full  view. 

I  had  almost  decided  to  drop  Mrs.  Patterson  and  her  slate  writing, 
although  reluctant  to  do  so,  because  I  had  no  certain  and  positive 
evidence  of  fraud  with  which  to  confront  my  friend,  who  was  getting 
impatient  at  my  slowness  in  accepting  all  I  had  seen,  when  I  resolved 
to  push  my  investigations  to  a  point  of  certainty,  one  way  or  an- 
other, and  hit  upon  the  little  scheme  of  going  prepared,  at  my  next 
visit  to  Mrs.  Patterson,  with  a  mirror  in  my  pocket  which  I  could 
hold  under  the  table  at  an  angle  that  would  reflect  whatever  occur- 
red on  the  other  side  of  the  table,  in  the  Medium's  lap,  the  accus- 
tomed position  of  the  mysterious  slate.  The  sitting  was  held  in  broad 
daylight,  and  the  table  was  so  placed  that  the  Medium  was  seated 
with  her  back  to  a  window,  affording  sufficient  light  for  the  experiment. 
I  purposely  avoided  removing  my  overcoat  on  this  day,  because  I  wished 
to  hide  my  movements  as  much  as  possible,  and  sat  down  at  my  side  of 
the  table  with  considerable  misgiving  as  to  the  result  of  taking  liberties 
with  the  Spirits.  The  Medium  this  time  had  on  her  table  a  new  slate, 
a  larger  one,  one  which  she  said  had  belonged  to  the  celebrated  Slade 
who  had  himself  received  messages  on  it.  She  said  her  old  slate  was 
broken,  which  was  probably  true ;  when  I  had  last  seen  it  it  was  in  a 
battered  condition.  She  asked  if  it  would  make  any  difference  to  me  if 
she  used  the  new  slate.  The  only  apparent  difference  between  the  slates 
was  that  this  one  was  larger  and  did  not  close  with  a  screw,  therefore, 
thought  I,  more  easily  manipulated ;  consequently  I  did  not  withhold 
my  consent.  I  wrote  upon  a  slip  of  paper  my  question,  "Will  Dr.  H.  advise 


121 

me  what  to  do  for  Juliet  (an  old  colored  patient)  ?"  I  folded  over  the  slip 
of  paper  five  times,  put  it  in  the  slate  with  a  small  stub  of  pencil,  and 
down  the  slates  went  into  the  lap  of  the  Medium  where  I  could  see 
them,  lying  plainly  reflected  in  my  little  mirror  which  I  had  slipped  out 
of  my  pocket  and  laid  across  my  knees  at  the  proper  angle  of  reflec- 
tion. 

Mrs.  Patterson  first  wrote  a  letter-sheet  full  of  alleged  Spirit  com- 
munications, and  handed  them  to  me  across  the  table  for  perusal. 
I  took  the  sheet  with  one  hand  and  while  ostensibly  scanning  the  writ- 
ten page,  with  the  other  hand  I  carefully  adjusted  my  little  mirror,  on 
which  my  downcast  and  watchful  eyes  were  fixed,  when  lo !  in  the 
mirror  I  beheld  a  hand,  closely  resembling  that  of  the  Medium, 
stealthily  insert  its  fingers  between  the  leaves  of  the  slate,  take  out  the 
little  slip,  unfold  and  again  fold  it,  grasp  the  little  pencil,  which  had 
rolled  to  the  front  while  the  slate  was  tilted  that  way,  and  with  rapid 
but  noiseless  motion  (had  there  been  the  least  noise  from  the  pencil,  it 
would  have  been  drowned  by  the  fit  of  coughing,  which,  at  that  instant, 
seized  the  Medium)  write  across  the  slate  from  left  to  right,  a  few  lines; 
then  the  leaves  of  the  slate  were  closed,  the  little  pencil  laid  on  the  top, 
and,  over  all,  two  hands  were  folded  as  if  in  benediction.  The  woman 
opposite  me,  to  whom  the  hands  belonged  (unless  they  were  Spirit  hands) 
sat  with  uplifted  eyes,  a  calm  expression  of  innocence  upon  her  face. 
After  holding  the  slates  so  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  after  calling  to  the 
Spirit  friends  "  to  come  and  please  write  in  the  slate,"  she  produced 
them,  saying,  "  It  has  come ! " 

Of  course,  I  did  all  I  could  to  master  my  indignation,  which,  at 
that  moment,  was  extreme,  and  quietly  opening  the  slates,  I  read  the 
message  pretending  to  have  come  from  high  authority,  "  The  channels 
are  obstructed,  give  Arsenic,  Bryonia  and  Pulsatilla  in  succeeding 
doses,  an  hour  apart !  "  The  last  words  were  somewhat  illegible,  and 
Mrs.  Patterson  suggested  another  trial ;  she  thought  the  Spirits  would 
write  it  plainer.  Again  the  slates  went  down ;  again  I  saw  the  hand  at 
work  as  before.  This  second  time  the  hurriedly  written  message  was 
not  much  plainer  than  the  first.  Mrs.  Patterson,  who  was  better  versed 
in  deciphering  Spirit  dispatches  than  I,  offered  to  read  it  for  me,  but 
remembering  that  "all  good  things  are  three,"  I  requested  a  third  trial. 
After  this  last  experiment,  in  which  again,  for  the  third  time,  in  my 
little  mirror,  I  saw  the  stealthy  fingers  write  on  the  slate,  I  told  the 
Medium  I  was  satisfied,  smothered  my  indignant  anger,  and  left  the 
house  as  quickly  as  I  could.  For  the  larger  part  of  a  year  I  had  in- 
vestigated in  good  faith  this  department  of  Spiritualism,  which,  in  this 
Medium's  case,  had  turned  out  a  downright  fraud. 


122 

Not  long  after  my  last  interview  with  Mrs.  Patterson  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  meet  with  an  unprofessional  Medium,  a  young  gentle- 
man of  reputed  honor  and  veracity,  to  whom  I  was  introduced  by 
a  friend  who  had  known  him  from  childhood,  and  vouched  for  his 
honesty.  This  young  man's  Mediumistic  abilities  had  begun  to  de- 
velop with  the  planchette,  and  had  reached  the  stage  in  which  a  drum  and 
sundry  musical  instruments  were  played  behind  a  curtain  where  he 
sat  entranced,  with  his  hands  tightly  bound  together  by  a  handkerchief 
or  cord.  These  seances  were  continued  with  regularity  on  certain 
nights  in  the  week,  and  were  confined  strictly  to  the  family  circle  and 
to  a  few  privileged  friends.  There  was,  therefore,  no  temptation  to  de- 
ceive for  gain.  I  came  into  the  circle  as  an  observer,  not  as  believer, 
but  was  impressed  by  the  phenomena  witnessed  at  the  first  seance  in 
which  the  Medium  was  under  Indian  control.  There  were  strange 
sounds,  guttural  tones  and  whoops  which  really  might  have  emanated 
from  a  wild  son  of  the  forest.  A  drum,  an  accordion,  a  zither, 
a  mouth-organ  were  all  played  upon.  The  drumsticks  kept  time  to 
music,  rapped  on  the  wall,  appeared  above  the  edge  of  the  curtain 
several  times,  brightly  illuminated,  as  if  dipped  in  electric  light  or 
some  phosphorescent  substance.  As  I  have  said,  I  was  impressed,  and 
might  have  ended  in  complete  conversion,  by  manifestations  from  so 
trustworthy  a  source,  and  vouched  for  in  such  perfect  sincerity,  had  it 
not,  in  an  unlucky  moment,  occurred  to  me  to  apply  a  little  harmless 
test. 

The  test  consisted  simply  in  putting  a  dab  of  printer's  ink  on  one  of 
the  drumsticks  at  the  very  last  moment  before  the  seance  began.  The 
result  could  not  prove  physically  injurious  to  the  Medium,  who  had 
challenged  investigation,  nor  to  any  one  in  the  circle.  The  result 
was  startling.  Being  accorded  the  privilege  of  tying  the  Medium's 
hands,  I  proceeded  to  do  so  with  a  stout  cord,  using  a  certain  knot 
which  I  believe  has  never  been  known  to  slip  or  come  undone. 
This  accomplished,  and  while  some  one  else  fastened  the  Medium 
securely  to  his  chair,  with  his  back  to  the  instruments  on  the  table, 
the  ink,  concealed  in  a  pocket-handkerchief,  was  applied.  In  this 
position  we  left  the  Medium,  the  lights  were  lowered  and  the  music 
began.  Soon  were  heard  the  deep  breathings  preceding  the  trance, 
then  the  'Indian'  began  to  manifest,  at  first  somewhat  sullenly,  as  if  not 
pleased  with  the  conditions,  some  of  the  instruments  sounded,  and  at 
last  the  drumsticks  began  their  tattoo.  At  the  close  of  the  seance,  when 
the  curtains  were  drawn  and  the  lights  turned  up,  the  Medium  was 
found  in  his  chair  with  his  hands  still  tied,  but  great  was  the  astonish- 


123 

ment  of  everyone  present  at  the  marvelous  condition  of  the  Medium's 

hands.     How  in  the  world  printer's  ink  could  have  gotten  smeared 

over  them  while  under  control  of  '  Deerfoot,  the  Indian,'  no  one,  not 

even  the  Medium,  could  fathom. 

I  believe  there  is  an  explanation  for  these  or  similar  phenomena,  but 

I  must  leave  it  to  the  ingenious  and  adroit  expounders  of  Spiritualist 

philosophy. 

Calvin  B.  Knerr. 


124 


MEDIUMISTIC  DEVELOPMENT. 

At  my  very  first  seance,  as  a  member  of  this  Commission,  I  was 
told  by  the  Spirit  of  Elias  Hicks,  through  Mrs.  Patterson,  that  I 
was  gifted  by  nature  with  great  Mediumistic  power.  Another  Me- 
dium, with  whom  I  had  a  session  shortly  afterwards  (I  cannot  re- 
member his  name,  but  he  advertised  himself  as  a  great  '  Australian 
Medium'),  professed  himself  quite  unable  to  exert  any  power  in 
the  presence  of  a  Medium  so  much  more  powerful  than  himself. 
1  Father  Holland,'  the  control  of  Mrs.  Williams,  in  New  York,  assured  me 
that  I  merely  needed  development  to  have  Spiritual  manifestations  at  my 
own  home ;  and  Joseph  Caffray  was  so  emphatic  in  his  assertions  of 
my  extraordinary  Spiritual  capabilities,  that  I  began  to  think  that  it  was 
my  duty  to  quicken  these  dormant  powers  and  not  to  let  them  *  fust  in  me 
unused,'  and  if  successful,  when  I  had  become  fully  '  developed,'  I 
could  offer  myself  to  my  fellow  Commissioners  as  a  corpus  vile  on  which 
every  experiment  could  be  made,  and  at  a  great  saving  of  expense. 

Spiritualists  constantly  reproach  investigators  of  Spiritualism  with 
faint-heartedness  and  lack  of  patience ;  they  allege  that  at  the  very 
first  rebuff  all  investigating  ardor  cools,  and  that  one  failure  is  deemed 
sufficient  to  condemn  a  whole  system. 

If  the  case  be  really  thus,  the  Spiritualists  have  a  show  of  reason 
for  this  objection,  and  it  behooves  the  Seybert  Commission  to  give  no 
ground  for  it. 

After  much  deliberation  I  decided  to  put  myself  in  the  hands 
of  Caffray  for  '  development.'  I  preferred  this  Medium,  first,  because 
he  was  the  most  emphatic  of  all  in  his  assertion  of  my  almost 
unrivaled  Mediumistic  powers,  and  in  his  confidence  that  indications 
of  Spiritual  growth  would  be  manifest  in  three  or  four  weeks,  and  at 
the  end  of  six  weeks  or  of  two  months  I  might  celebrate  my  Spiritual 
majority  by  slatefuls  of  messages;  and,  secondly,  Mr.  Hazard  assured  me 
again  and  again  that  Caffray  was  the  'greatest  Medium  in  the  country ;' 
and  did  not  Mr.  Hazard,  by  way  of  proof,  show  me  a  stoppered  vial 
containing  a  card,  on  which,  through  Caffray's  Mediumship,  a  message 
had  been  written  while  the  closed  vial  was  fast  held  in  his  closed  hand? 

The  first  step  was  the  purchase  of  two  slates  from  Caffray,  for  which 
I  gave  him  several  dollars.  They  were  common  enough  to  look  at, 
but  ah !  they  had  been  for  months  in  his  Materializing  Cabinet  and  had 


125 

absorbed  Spiritual  power  to  the  point  of  saturation,  and  fairly  exuded 
it.  I  brought  them  carefully  from  New  York,  and  folded  them  in 
black  muslin,  and  laid  them  away  in  a  dark  drawer. 

Caffray  told  me  that  with  a  beginner  the  Spirits  found  it  somewhat 
easier  to  write  with  French  chalk  than  with  slate  pencil.  So  I  bought  a 
box  of  a  dozen  pieces,  such  as  tailors  use. 

The  instructions  which  I  received  from  Caffray  were  to  keep  these 
slates  carefully  in  the  dark,  and  every  evening  at  about  the  same  hour 
to  sit  in  total  darkness,  with  my  hands  resting  on  them  for  about  a  half 
or  three-quarters  of  an  hour ;  to  maintain  a  calm,  equable,  passive  state 
of  mind,  even  to  think  of  any  indifferent  subject  rather  than  to  concen- 
trate my  thoughts  too  intently  on  the  slate-writing.  There  could  be  no 
question  of  the  result.  A  Medium  of  my  unusual  and  excessive  power 
would  find,  at  the  end  of  three  weeks,  faint  zig-zag  scratches  within  the 
closed  slates,  and  these  scratches  would  gradually  assume  shape,  until  at 
last  messages  would  be  legible,  probably  at  the  end  of  six  weeks,  or  of 
three  months  at  the  very  farthest. 

In  addition  to  this,  I  must  wear,  night  and  day,  a  piece  of  magnetized 
paper,  about  six  inches  square,  a  fresh  piece  every  night  and  morning ; 
its  magnetism  was  exhausted  in  about  twelve  hours.  When  I  mentioned 
to  Mr.  Hazard  the  proposed  use  of  this  magnetized  paper,  he  assured 
me  that  it  was  a  capital  idea — that  he  had  himself  used  it  for  a  headache, 
and  when  he  put  it  on  the  top  of  his  head  l  it  turned  all  his  hair  back- 
ward.' I  confess  to  dismay  when  I  heard  this;  Caffray  had  told 
me  that  I  must  wear  this  paper  on  the  top  of  my  head  under  my 
hat !  But  did  it  not  behoove  the  Acting  Chairman  of  the  Seybert 
Commission  to  yield  himself  a  willing  victim  to  the  cause  of 
Psychical  Research?  Was  to  be,  or  not  to  be,  a  Medium  so  evenly 
balanced  that  the  turning  of  a  hair,  or  of  a  whole  head  of  hair  was 
to  repel  me?  Perish  the  thought!  That  paper  should  be  worn  on 
the  top  of  my  head,  under  my  hat,  and  that  hat  should  be  worn  all 
day  long.  I  would  eat  my  breakfast  with  that  hat  on,  eat  my  dinner 
with  that  hat  on,  and  sleep  with  that  hat  on,  and  that  magnetized 
paper  should  remain  on  the  top  of  my  head,  let  it  turn  my  hair  to 
all  the  points  of  the  compass,  if  it  would ! 

When  I  received  the  slates  from  Caffray  he  had  no  paper  that  was 
sufficiently  magnetized  just  then  ;  he  had  some  sheets  that  were  about 
half  done,  and  promised  to  send  them  to  me  as  soon  as  the  process  was 
complete. 

In  the  meantime  I  began  with  the  slates,  sitting  with  them  in  total 
darkness  from  about  a  quarter  past  eight  to  nine  o'clock  every  evening, 
with  my  hands  resting  on  them  lightly. 


126 

In  three  or  four  days  the  paper  arrived.  I  explained  to  my  family 
that  hereafter  they  must  not  infer,  from  the  "wearing  of  my  hat  indoors 
and  at  meals,  either  that  my  wits  had  slipped,  or  that  I  had  become 
converted  to  Judaism,  but  that  my  conduct  was  to  be  viewed  by  the 
light  of  the  pure  flame  of  research.  In  my  secret  soul  I  resolved  that 
I  would  go  at  once,  that  very  morning,  to  New  York  and  plead  with 
Caffray  for  some  slight  easing  of  my  ordeal.  The  '  Spectre  of  the 
Threshold '  appeared  to  wear  a  silk  hat,  and  I  was  afraid  I  never,  never 
should  pass  him. 

The  magnetized  paper  I  handled  with  awe.  It  was,  in  outward 
semblance,  ordinary  white  blotting  paper,  and,  from  some  faint  indica- 
tions of  ink  here  and  there,  looked  as  though  it  might  on  occasion  have 
served  its  original  use ;  but  had  I  not  paid  a  dollar  a  sheet  for  it  ?  It 
must  be  good. 

As  I  started  for  the  train  I  put  a  piece  on  the  top  of  my  head,  gave 
a  fond,  farewell  look  at  my  hair,  and  planted  my  hat  firmly  on  my  brows. 
I  reached  the  train,  and  while  looking  for  a  seat  caught  sight  of  my 

friend,  Miss  W .     Of  course,  I  instantly  bowed,  and  instantly  there 

came  fluttering  dow7n  before  her  astonished  and  bewildered  eyes  a  piece 
of  blotting  paper.  I  snatched  it  hastily,  and  in  terror  lest  I  had 
already  broken  the  charm  and  forfeited  all  chance  of  Mediumship, 
retired  to  the  rear  of  the  car  and  furtively  replaced  the  precious  pad. 
Decidedly  I  must  see  Caffray  at  once. 

Luckily,  when  I  reached  New  York  I  found  that  eminent  Medium 
at  home,  and,  '  bonneted,'  rehearsed  to  him  my  dread  anticipations. 
He  could  not  repress  a  grim  laugh,  and  to  my  inexpressible  relief  gave 
me  permission  to  wear  the  paper  suspended  round  my  neck  next  the 
skin. 

With  those  precious  slates  I  sat  every  night,  at  the  same  hour,  in 
darkness.  I  allowed  nothing  to  interfere  with  this  duty ;  no  call  of 
family,  of  friends,  of  society,  was  heeded.  At  the  end  of  three  weeks 
I  searched  every  molecule  of  the  slate  for  the  indication  of  a  zig-zag 
line,  but  the  surface  was  unsullied,  and  its  black  monotony  returned 
stare  for  stare. 

Still  hopeful  and  trustful  I  continued,  day  by  day  and  week  by 
week.  The  six  weeks  expired.  Not  a  zig,  nor  a  zag.  Caffray  was 
kept  busy  magnetizing  paper.  I  renewed  my  stock  and  determined 
to  push  on  to  two  months.  I  moved  to  the  country  and  carried  my 
slates  thither,  wrapped  in  double  folds  of  black  muslin.  The  days  and 
weeks  rolled  on.  Two  months  passed.  The  slates  were  as  clean  as 
when  they  came  into  my  possession.     I  would  go  on  to  three  months. 


127 

Does  not  a  hen  sit  for  three  weeks  ?  Where  a  hen  gives  a  week,  shall 
not  I  give  a  month  ?     Is  not  a  Medium  worth  more  than  a  chicken  ? 

1  Courage!'  cried  Caffray,  writh  each  batch  of  paper.  I  went  to  the 
seashore  and  my  slates  went  with  me.  Not  a  single  evening  did  I 
break  my  rule. 

And  so  it  went  on.  The  three  months  became  four;  became  five; 
became  six ! 

And  there  an  end,  with  absolutely  virgin  slates. 

I  had  used  enough  blotting  paper,  it  seemed  to  me,  to  absorb  a 
spot  on  the  sun.  I  dare  not  calculate  the  number  of  hours  I  had  spent 
in  darkness. 

Let  Spiritualistic  reproaches  of  investigators  for  lack  of  zeal  and 
patience  be  heaped  up  hereafter  till  '  Ossa  becomes  a  wart ; '  I  care 
not ;  my  withers  are  unwrung. 

Punch  gives  a  receipt  for  making    c  Gooseberry  Fool :'    '  Carefully 

skin  your  gooseberries,  extract  the  seeds  and  wash  the  pulp  in  three 

waters  for  six  hours  each.    Having  done  this  with  the  gooseberries,  the 

Fool  is  perfect.' 

Horace  Howard  Furness. 


128 


SEALED  LETTERS. 

Readers  of  the  Spiritualistic  literature  of  the  present  day  cannot  fail  to 
have  their  attention  frequently  called  to  the  remarkable  power  attrib- 
uted to  certain  Mediums,  not  only  of  reading  the  contents  of  envelopes 
which  are  securely  gummed  and  sealed,  but  of  returning  to  the  ques- 
tions therein  contained  pertinent  answers  from  friends  in  the  other 
world.  It  is  far  from  uncommon  to  hear  of  conversions  to  faith 
in  Spiritualism  wTrought  by  these  remarkable  proofs  of  Spiritual  power. 
At  this  hour,  in  many  a  loving  home,  responses  to  letters,  thus  sealed 
and  answered  through  these  Mediums,  are  treasured  as  tenderest,  com- 
pletest  proofs  that  love  survives  the  grave  and  still  encircles  the  living 
and  the  dead. 

Recognizing  in  this  phase  of  Mediumship  a  department  of  Spiritual- 
ism capable  of  plain,  matter-of-fact  investigation,  which  could  be  con- 
ducted in  writing  and  demanding  no  special  powers  of  observation,  the 
duty  of  investigation  devolved  mainly  upon  the  Acting  Chairman. 

There  are  only  four  of  these  special  Mediums  whose  advertisements 
I  have  seen  in  Spiritual  papers.  He  who  has  probably  the  widest 
reputation  is  Dr.  James  V.  Mansfield,  Boston.  A  second  is  Mr.  R. 
W.  Flint,  New  York  City.  A  third  is  Mrs.  Dr.  Eleanor  Martin,  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio ;  and  lastly,  also  of  the  same  name,  Mrs.  Eliza  A. 
Martin,  of  Oxford,  Massachusetts. 

Through  the  Mediumship  of  the  first,  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  up- 
ward of  a  hundred  thousand  securely  sealed  letters  have  been  answered ; 
and  the  names  of  men  high  in  our  business  and  financial  world  have 
been  cited  to  me  as  of  those  who  had  received  proofs  of  his  power 
which  could  not  be  questioned,  nor  explained  on  any  other  ground 
than  that  of  clairvoyance,  or  of  Spirit  communication.  To  him,  there- 
fore, I  concluded  to  apply  first. 

The  choice  of  a  subject  whereon  to  communicate  with  a  denizen  of 
the  other  world  is  not  easy.  To  follow  in  the  well-trodden  path  and 
ask  after  the  welfare  of  departed  friends  would  only  end,  I  wrell  knew, 
in  turning  on  that  stream  of  generalities,  not  glittering,  but  very 
dull,  in  which  a  large  experience  had  taught  me  that  disembodied 
Spirits  chiefly  delight  when  expatiating  on  the  conditions  of  their 
changed  existence.  Furthermore,  it  wras  desirable  that  from  the  inves- 
tigation should  be  eliminated  all  elements  of  thought-transference  or  of 


129 

mind-reading.  I  must  select  a  subject  on  which  my  own  mind  was  a 
blank,  and  where  the  responses  would  have  to  be  definite  and  unam- 
biguous, and  withal  quite  within  the  scope  of  Spiritual  knowledge. 

At  last,  as  fulfilling,  in  all  honesty  and  sincerity,  the  requisite  con- 
ditions, a  skull  in  my  possession  was  fixed  on. 

This  skull  is  a  relic,  interesting  from  its  dramatic  associations.  It 
has  been  used  for  fifty  or  sixty  years  as  a  '  property '  at  the  Walnut 
Street  Theatre,  whenever  ' Hamlet*  has  been  performed,  and  as  '  Yor- 
ick's  skull '  has  been  handled  in  that  play,  from  Edmund  Kean  down 
to  Henry  Irving  and  Edwin  Booth.  It  is  preserved  with  care,  and 
mounted  on  a  piece  of  polished  black  marble.  Surely  here  is  a  skull 
whose  experiences  are  singular  above  all  ordinary  skulls,  and  in  whose 
career  its  original  owner  might  be  not  unreasonably  expected  to 
cherish  some  interest  or  to  have  followed  its  fortunes  with  some 
little  attention.  Untold  possibilities  for  the  vindication  of  Spiritualis- 
tic truth  and  power  hang  around  it,  should  there  be  an  unwavering 
agreement  by  all  Spiritual  authorities,  as  to  the  circumstances,  when 
alive,  of  its  original  owner.  Surely,  I  concluded,  the  translated  inhabi- 
tants of  the  'summer-land'  cannot  have  doffed  the  homespun  honesty 
of  mortal  life;  all  will  either  confess  ignorance  with  regard  to  this 
skull,  or  display  their  truthfulness  by  a  substantial  harmony  in  their 
reports,  and  thereby  furnish  an  indisputable,  irrefragable  proof  of  the 
truth  of  Spiritualism. 

Sincere  in  this  trust,  I  wrote  on  a  small  sheet  of  paper  this  question: 
"  What  was  the  name,  age,  sex,  color  or  condition  in  life  of  the  owner, 
when  alive,  of  the  skull  here  in  my  library?  28  February,  1885." 
This  paper  was  put  in  an  envelope,  whereof  the  flap  was  then  gummed 
to  within  a  small  distance  of  the  point,  under  this  point  some  sealing- 
wax  was  dropped,  and  enough  was  added  above  it  to  form  a  large, 
heavy,  substantial  impression.  At  the  four  corners  additional  seals, 
with  different  impressions,  were  placed.  Thus  gummed,  and  sealed 
with  five  seals,  the  envelope  was  enclosed  to  Dr.  J.  V.  Mansfield,  with 
a  request  that  it  be  subjected  to  his  Mediumistic  power. 

In  a  few  days  the  following  was  received : 

'Boston,  March  2d,  1885. 
Dear  Furness. — Your  package  came  duly  to  hand  most  respect- 
fully say  I  have  given  the  package  two  sittings  and  re'd  from  two 
different  spirits  (purported)  answer  one  coroberating  [sic]  the  other 
statement  One  from  Robt  Hair  [sic]  the  other  from  Dr  B.  Rush  for 
the  two  communicates  my  charge  is  5.00  which  if  you  will  send  me  per 
9 


130 

registered  mail  I  will  remit  you  per  return  mail  Respfy  J.  V.  Mans- 
field I  judge  from  the  com.  it  relates  to  a  skeleton.' 

With  this  letter  the  sealed  envelope  was  returned,  apparently  in  ex- 
actly the  same  state  in  which  it  had  been  sent;  the  seals  were 
intact,  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  a  few  trifling  fractures,  for  which 
the  transit  to  and  from  Boston,  through  the  mail,  would  readily  ac- 
count. Upon  closer  inspection,  however,  and  upon  turning  the  envel- 
ope so  as  to  catch  the  light,  I  thought  that  a  slight  glazing  of  gum  wTas 
discernible  around  the  central  seal,  and  from  beneath  its  edge  a 
minute  bubble  of  mucilage  protruded.  The  fee  demanded  wras  at 
once  forwarded,  and  by  return  of  mail  the  following  '  communicates  ' 
were  received,  written  in  pencil  on  long  strips  of  common  paper,  and 
in  two  different  hands  : 

Dear  Furness. — Yours  of  28  Feby  before  me — as  to  this  matter 
under  consideration  I  have  looked  it  over  and  over  again  Called  my 
old  friend  Geo  Combe  and  we  are  of  the  mind  it  is  the  skull  of  a 
female — Combe  says  he  thinks  it  was  that  of  a  Colored  woman — the 
age — about  40  to  44  the  name  of  the  one  who  inhabited  it — it  wTould 
not  be  possible  for  any  spirit  but  the  one  who  the  skull  belonged  to 
If  it  w7as  colored — Cornelia  Winnie  might  know.  Respfy  Robt  Hare 
Mch  2  '85.' 

In  a  larger,  bolder  hand  on  the  second  slip  wTas  the  following : 

'  My  dear  Townsman — pardon  what  may  seem  an  intrusion — but 
seeing  your  anxiety  to  get  the  Aage  [sic]  sex — col  and  name  of  a  skull 
in  your  office  and  seeing  the  conclusion  that  Dr.  Hare  and  Proffr 
Combe  have  arrived  at — I  will  say  that  I  have  looked  the  same  over  and 
fully  concur  in  their  conclusion  save  in  the  color  of  the  one  wrho  once 
annimated  [sic]  that  skull.  Fowler  Spurzeheim  [sic]  and  Gall  agree 
in  saying  that  Hare  and  Combe  have  nothing  to  base  an  opinion  upon, 
as  to  the  color — yet  in  sex  they  agree  Yours  with  Respect 

Benja  Rush  M.D. 

Exact  age  could  not  be  determined.    Mch  2  '85 ' 

These  answers  are  certainly  remarkable.  The  very  words  of  the 
question  inside  the  sealed  envelope  are  here  openly  repeated,  and  al- 
though the  six  eminent,  scientific  ghosts,  Hare,  Combe,  Fowler,  Spurz- 
heim,  Gall,  and  Rush  do  not  agree  with  each  other  on  all  points,  yet  a 
slight  divergence,  or  contrariety,  in  opinion  is  at  times  observable  to  the 
grosser  eyes  of  flesh  among  doctors  upon  earth ;  and  then  they  wrere  all 


131 

in  accord  over  the  sex  of  the  skull,  in  which  problem,  having  one  chance 
out  of  only  two,  they  could  not  go  very  far  afield.  Moreover,  the  very 
framing  of  the  question  as  to  sex  might  suggest  female,  and  as  to  color 
might  suggest  black. 

But  had  not  the  envelope  been  opened? 

It  occurred  to  me  to  cut  the  edges  of  the  sealed  envelope  carefully, 
whereby  I  could  examine  the  flap,  on  the  inside.  It  was  done.  The 
paper  of  the  envelope  under  three  of  the  seals  was  torn,  and  deception 
stood  revealed.  The  seals  had  been  cut  out,  and  restored  to  their 
position  with  mucilage. 

Although,  in  legal  phrase,  I  might  rest  my  case  here,  yet  I  was  anx- 
ious so  to  seal  an  envelope  that  while  its  contents  could  not  be  extracted 
without  the  destruction  of  the  envelope  and  a  betrayal  of  any  attempted 
fraud,  yet  that  an  answer  to  the  question  enclosed  should  be  quite 
within  the  clairvoyant  power,  so  called,  of  the  Medium,  if  he  really 
possessed  any,  and  as  to  the  existence  whereof  I  was  sincerely  anxious 
to  obtain  some  satisfactory  proof.  Animated  with  this  desire,  I  pro- 
ceeded as  follows : 

In  the  'communicate'  from  the  Spirit  of  Dr.  Hare,  reference  is  made 
to  Cornelia  Winnie's  possible  knowledge  of  the  information  which  I 
was  seeking  in  regard  to  the  skull.  Could  this  have  been  a  lure  to 
tempt  me  to  knock  again  at  the  Spiritual  door  of  which  Dr.  Mansfield 
is  the  porter  ? 

At  any  rate  I  accepted  the  suggestion.  On  a  sheet  of  note-paper  I 
wrote : 

'Can  Cornelia  Winnie,  or  any  other  Spirit  (Dr.  Hare  refers  me  to 
the  former),  give  me  any  particulars  of  the  life  or  death  of  the  colored 
woman  who  once  animated  this  skull  here  in  my  Library.  I  am 
entirely  ignorant  myself  on  the  subject.' 

This  was  folded,  placed  in  an  envelope,  gummed  and  sealed  pre- 
cisely as  I  had  folded,  gummed  and  sealed  the  previous  letter.  This 
I  marked  with  ink  on  the  outside  'No.  1.' 

On  another  sheet  of  similar  note-paper  I  repeated  word  for  word, 
and  line  for  line,  and  dot  for  dot,  the  very  same  question.  This  paper 
was  also  folded  and  put  into  an  envelope,  but  two  or  three  stitches  of 
red  silk  were  then  passed  through  the  flap  of  the  envelope  and  the 
enclosed  paper,  sewing  the  two  securely  together ;  these  stitches  were 
made  at  the  point  of  the  flap,  and  again  at  each  of  the  four  corners. 
Over  these  stitches,  and  concealing  them,  seals  of  red  sealing  wax  were 
affixed.  Exteriorly  the  two  envelopes  were  precisely  alike.  The 
stitched  envelope  was  marked  on  the  outside  'No.  2,'     As  the  contents 


132 

of  both  were  identical,  a  clairvoyant  Spirit  that  could  answer  No.  1 
could  answer  No.  2,  but  nothing  less  than  superhuman  power  could 
extract  the  paper  from  No.  2  without  so  tearing  the  envelope  as  to 
betray  an  un-Spiritual  origin.  These  two  envelopes  were  enclosed  to 
our  Medium  with  the  following  note : 

'Dear  Doctor  Mansfield.  The  answers  to  my  sealed  letter  were 
so  satisfactory  and  so  very  curious  that  I  should  like  to  follow  up  the 
interesting  subject,  if  I  am  not  taxing  your  powers  too  heavily.  I 
therefore  enclose  two  more  sealed  envelopes,  marked  No.  1  and  No.  2. 
If  it  be  possible,  I  should  like  to  have  you  sit  with  No.  1  first.  If  the 
Spirits  respond,  pray  send  me  word  and  let  me  know  how  much  I  am 
indebted  to  you.' 

My  object  in  asking  the  Medium  to  sit  first  with  No.  1  was  that,  if 
he  were  fraudulent,  finding  the  ease  with  which  No.  1  could  be  opened, 
he  would  undertake  the  opening  of  No.  2  with  such  freedom  and  assur- 
ance that  the  envelope  would  be  torn  beyond  the  healing  power  of 
mucilage,  and  a  confession  of  failure  would  have  to  follow. 

In  a  few  days  the  envelopes  were  returned  with  the  following  brief 
note: 

'  Dear  Furness :  Send  you  what  came  to  your  P  K  the  2d  gave  no 
response  my  terms  are  $3  for  each  trial — warrant  nothing. 

Respectfully, 
J.  V.  M.' 

The  Spiritual  communication  enclosed  reads  as  follows : 

1 1  Bress  de  Lord  for  deh  one  mor  to  talk  to  de  people  of  my  ole 
home  I  been  thar  lots  o  tim  since  I  com  here — but  o  Lord  de  Massy — 
they  no  see  Winne  cos  she  be  ded  and  she  jus  no  ded  at  tall — now — as 
to  dot  Col  gal — Hed  I  could  not  say — sure — but  I  think  it  Dinah 
Melish — she  who  lov  de  Lord  too.  I  think  it  seem  Dina  top  not.  Will 
see  Dina  som  time  and  then  i  ask  her — do  you  no  Minister  Du  Cachet 
well  he  here — and  want  the  [there  here  follows  in  the  original  a  rude 
drawing  of  a  decanter  and  wine  glass.  In  this  scandalous  allusion 
there  is  no  trace,  it  will  be  observed,  of  phonetic  spelling  in  the  proper 
name]  just  de  same.     I  Bress  de  Lor  I  don't  want  it. 

March  13,  '85.  Cornelia  Winnie.' 

An  examination  of  the  envelope  marked  No.  1,  by  cutting  it  open 
at  the  edges,  revealed  the  same  story  of  fraud :  three  of  the  seals  had 
been  cut  out,  and  replaced. 

An  examination  of  No.  2,  in  the  same  way,  readily  disclosed  the 


133 

reason  why  the  Spirits  had  failed  to  answer,  although  the  question 
assuredly  presented  no  greater  difficulties  than  in  No.  1.  An  attempt 
had  been  made  to  start  two  of  the  seals,  but  meeting  with  unexpected 
resistance  in  the  silk  stitches,  and  finding  that  further  effort  would  end 
in  tearing  the  envelope  in  a  very  palpable  and  mundane  fashion,  the 
Spirits  had  grown  disheartened  and  taciturn. 

We  shall  meet  this  Medium  again,  but  for  the  present  we  will  leave 
him,  after  pausing  for  a  minute  over  his  business  card,  which,  after 
stating  his  terms  in  prosaic  dollars  and  cents,  thus  apostrophizes  his 
clientele : 

"  From  the  bright  stars, 
And  viewless  air 

Sweet  Spirit,  if  thy  home  be  there, 
Answer  me. — Answer  me." 

Happily  my  experience  enables  me  to  remove  all  doubt  as  to  the 
locality  of  the  Spirit's  '  home,'  and  to  state  with  positiveness  its  exact 
location.  But  like  the  German  philologist's  example  of  the  remarkable 
incongruity  in  English  between  spelling  and  pronunciation,  that  what  was 
written  *  Boz '  was  pronounced  '  Charles  Dickens,'  so  I  cheerfully  add 
to  this  list  of  incongruities  that  what  is  written  '  bright  stars '  is  pro- 
nounced 'Boston,' and  '  viewless  air '  is  pronounced  ' Dartmouth  Street.' 

I  next  turned  my  attention  to  Mr.  R.  W.  Flint  in  New  York.  From 
him  I  received  the  following  circular  in  answer  to  my  inquiries : 

"Dear 

I  am  controlled  by  one  spirit,  purporting  to  be  my  guide  who  is  the  scribe  for 
the  spirits,  delivering  (in  his  own  hand-writing)  what  is  dictated  to  him  by  the 
spirit  of  communicating. 

I  am  in  a  normal  (not  trance)  state,  but  unconscious  of  the  composition. 

My  hand  is  moved  to  write  from  right  to  left  (backwards),  independent  of  my 
will. 

By  holding  the  written  side  up  to  the  light,  the  answer  can  be  read. 

The  spirit-letters  should  be  securely  sealed,  addressed  to  the  spirit,  giving  his 
or  her  name  in  full,  and  signed  by  the  writer's  name  in  full ;  but  no  address  on 
the  envelope. 

When  left  open  they  cannot  be  answered,  my  agency  being  efficient  only  when 
my  mind  is  passive,  and  blank  to  both  questions  and  answers. 

Put  your  questions  clearly,  directly,  briefly.  The  mixed  and  many  kinds  defeat 
the  object  of  the  investigator. 

I  have  my  photograph  for  sale,  exhibiting  my  Spirit  Guide's  hand  and  arm,  or 
form  of  control ;  taken  while  answering  a  sealed  letter." 


134 

[The  terms  here  follow,  with  honorable  notification  that  the  money 
is  returned  in  all  cases  when  the  letters  are  not  answered.] 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  Medium's  'Spirit-guide'  requires  the  names 
in  full  of  both  Spirit  and  writer;  I  was,  therefore,  forced  to  select  a 
Spirit  who  knew  not  only  me  and  my  ways,  but  also  the  high  value 
that  is  placed  on  that  skull.  Mindful  that  eminent  Spiritual  authority 
had  pronounced  this  skull  to  be  that  of  a  colored  woman,  I  decided, 

after  deliberation,  to  address  the  Spirit  of  W H ,  a  colored 

servant,  wTho  had  lived  over  forty  years  in  one  family  a  faithful,  blame- 
less life,  and  who,  when  he  died,  carried  with  him  the  respect  and 
regards  of  the  entire  household,  and  whose  widow  and  daughters  still 
survive  in  honest,  humble  life,  and  to  whose  ears  this  apparent  freedom 
with  their  husband's  and  father's  name  will  never  reach.  Accordingly, 
the  following  note  was  addressed  to  the  Spirit  world : 

1  Dear  W H .     Can  you  tell  me  anything  about  the  owner, 

when  alive,  of  the  skull  here  in  the  Library?  You  remember  how 
anxious   I   have   always   been   to   have   my  ignorance  on  this  score 

enlightened.     Have  you*  any  message   to  send   to  your  wife,  M 

F ?     Are  you  happy  now?    Your  old  friend,  Horace   Howard 

Furness.' 

This  letter  was  put  in  an  envelope,  which  was  gummed  and  sealed 
with  five  simple  seals,  without  the  impenetrable  stitches  of  silk,  and 
enclosed  with  the  fee  to  Mr.  Flint.  It  was  received  again  in  a  few 
days  with  this  note: — 'Dear  Sir — I  gave  your  sealed  Spirit-letter  three 
sittings  and  regret  to  state  that  I  have  been  unable  to  get  an  answer. 
My  Guide  at  each  sitting  wrote  and  said,  the  Spirit  called  upon  is  not 
present  to  dictate  an  answer.'     The  fee  was  also  returned. 

An  examination  of  the  envelope  by  cutting  at  the  edges,  as  in  the 
previous  experiment,  showed  that  the  'Spirit  arm'  of  the  Guide  of  Mr. 
Flint  had  not  the  nerve  of  Dr.  Mansfield.  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  why 
it  stopped;  it  was  going  along  in  the  removal  of  the  seals  very  nicely; 
to  be  sure  the  paper  was  tearing  perilously  near  where  the  rent  could 
be  detected  from  the  outside,  but  with  only  a  little  more  of  Dr.  Mans- 
field's pluck,  and  the  Spirit  of  W H would  have  been  pres- 
ent, and  the  fee  pocketed.  However,  from  whatever  cause,  whether 
fright  or  repentance,  the  'flighty  purpose  was  o'ertook,'  and  the 
Medium  supposed  that  a  little  mucilage  would  'clear  him  of  the  deed.' 

Next  I  turned  to  Mrs.  Eleanor  Martin,  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  "Without 
writing  a  fresh  letter,  I  sent  her  the  same  letter  to  W H , 


135 

which  had  been  returned  to  me  from  Mr.  Flint,  and  the  envelope  was 
sealed  in  the  simple  easy  way  with  five  seals,  but  no  silk  stitches. 
To  this  came  the  following  response : 


*  Columbus,  Ohio,  March  25th,  '85. 

*  *  *  Please  find  enclosed  your  sealed  letter,  also  the  messages,  and 
my  terms.  I  learn  from  the  messages,  your  letter  was  written  upon 
the  Spiritual  topic.  My  terms  being  $1.00.  But  in  your  case  I  find 
the  messages  are  at  a  greater  length  than  many  and  according  to 
request  of  the  Spirit  "Belle"  I  paint  the  little  white  rose  as  her  nature. 
Most  truly,  Eleanor  Martin. 

First  message,  written  by  one  of  my  Guides  in  Spirit  for  the  follow- 
ing persons : 

Message. 

In  earth  life  I  was  tall  and  fair 

With  jet  black  eyes  and  golden  hair 
Eyes  that  sparkled  with  mirth  and  song 

And  whose  hair  in  curls  one  yard  long. 

Ah  but  many  sad  years  ago 

My  life  was  burdened  with  woe 
But  the  seens  [sj'c]  through  which  I  passed 

Are  now  with  gladness  overcast. 

I  was  born  in  your  earth  to  await 

The  coming  of  a  cruel  fate 
Yes,  I  a  true  and  loving  wife 

But  mine  was  a  sad  darkened  life. 

Oh  a  life  which  seemed  to  last 

To  me  the  future,  as  the  past, 
And  as  the  lone  hours  drifted  by 

My  only  prayer,  Oh  could  I  die. 

Cruel  is  the  assassins  hand 

Yet  so  many  are  in  your  land 
Day  by  day  as  a  fearful  flood 

Hearts  have  flowed  in  tears  of  blood. 

My  own  the  pain,  I  could  not  tell 

But  I  can  say  I  know  full  well 
My  soul  ne'er  found  sweet  peace  one  day 

And  with  earth  I  could  no  longer  stay. 


136 

My  form  was  sold  to  doctors  three 
So  you  have  all  that's  left  of  me 

I  come  to  greet  you  in  white  mull 
You  that  prizes  my  lonely  skull. 

I  can  cause  you  many  bright  hours 
Strew  your  path  in  purest  flowers 

For  your  kindness  tendered  me 
I  will  always  guard  and  guide  thee. 

You  may  call  me  your  Sister  Belle 
My  other  name  I  ne'er  can  tell 

They  tell  me  it  is  for  the  best 
To  let  earth's  troubles  be  at  rest. 

Tis  I  who  have  often  raped  [sic] 
In  your  quiet  room  have  taped  [sic] 

And  have  impressed  on  your  mind 
Many  inquiries  of  me  so  kind. 

By  Blind  Harry  for  a  beautiful  lady  who  gives  the  name  Belle. 

Second  Message. 

To  my  Dear  friend  Horace 

Horace  you  wonder  if  all  is  well 

Yes,  I'm  more  happy  than  I  can  tell 
For  sorrow  and  trouble  does  not  last 

But  like  a  sweet  dream  goes  gliding  past 
In  a  smooth  path  of  eternal  day 

Where  dawns  for  each  a  perpetual  May. 

Dear  M tell  her,  and  family  too 

That  I  am  ever  to  them  most  true 

And  I  daily  guide  her  tender  feet 
Where'er  she  goes  upon  the  street 

That  she  has  my  love  forever  more 
I  understand  her  more  than  before. 

Oh !  yes  this  bright  and  eternal  space 
Fills  each  true  soul  with  love  and  grace 

There  is  nothing  like  earth's  crimes  so  vile 
No  frown  wreathes  the  face  but  a  sweet  smile 

And  which  glides  along,  to  one  and  all 
Greeting  old,  and  young,  gay,  and  small. 

The  bright  spirit  world  is  everywhere 
And  to  each  is  appointed  some  care 

To  guide  earth's  children  on  their  way 
Amid  the  poor,  as  well  as  the  gay 

We  dwell  in  fields  of  labor  and  love 

Guiding  thousands  in  true  relms  [sic]  above. 


137 

Many  things  I  would  love  to  rehearse 
Which  would  be  written  for  me  in  verse 

But  so  many  are  here  to  await 
Their  joyous  messages  to  relate 

Many  friends  with  me  are  ever  near 
To  guide  our  brother  Horace  dear. — 

By  Blind  Harry. 

For  a  gentleman  who  gives  his  name  W H .' 

The  sealed  envelope  scarcely  needed  to  be  opened  at  the  back  for 
interior  inspection ;  its  exterior  bore  ample  and  all-sufficing  evidence 
that  the  seals  had  been  broken,  and  the  gum  softened;  the  fingers 
which  had  again  pressed  down  the  gummed  edge  were  not  as  unsullied 
as  'Sister  Belle's'  white  rose. 

This  communication  from  the  Spirit  world  gave  me  pause.  Here 
was  food  for  reflection.  It  settled  many  points  in  dispute  among  the 
scientific  Ghosts.  First:  they  were  all  right  on  the  question  of  sex; 
but  Hare,  Combe  and  Cornelia  Winnie  were  wrong  as  to  color.  Sister 
Belle  is  not  a  negress,  her  hair  is  not  black  and  in  kinks,  it  is  golden, 
and  its  curls  are  three  feet  in  length,  moreover,  a  white  rose  is  her 
emblem.  And  what  a  sad  domestic  tragedy  have  I  not  here  unearthed. 
In  reading  between  the  lines  of  these  verses  we  learn  that  what  dark- 
ened the  life  of  this  true  and  loving  woman  was  a  mercenary  husband, 
and  that  this  husband  survived  her,  and  in  his  unhallowed  greed  sold 
her  body,  and  this,  too,  at  so  exorbitant  a  price,  that  it  required  the 
united  purses  of  three  doctors  to  induce  him  to  close  the  bargain. 

Secondly :  by  the  message  from  W H ,  that  most  sedate  and 

respectful  of  all  respectful  colored  servants,  the*  moralist  may  learn 
anew  the  truth  that  Death  is  a  leveller  of  all  distinctions.  Not  even 
when  the  Emperor  Charlemagne  appeared  at  a  Materializing  Seance 
in  a  dress-coat  and  standing  collar,  and  apologetically  remarked  that 
1  Kings  leave  their  ermine,  sir,  at  the  door  of  the  tomb,'  not  even  then 

was  this  great  truth  driven  so  profoundly  home  as  when  W H 

greeted  me  by  my  Christian  name,  and  hailed  me  'brother.' 

Need  it  be  added  that  I  gratefully  remitted  to  Medium  Number 
Three  a  double  fee,  and  do  yet  consider  myself  many  times  her 
debtor?  Her  gratitude  to  me  found  expression  in  another  outburst  of 
song. 

Had  the  identity  of  the  original  owner  of  the  skull  been  my  sole 
object,  I  might  well  have  rested  content.  I  had  found  the  owner,  and 
she  had  claimed  her  own.     She  was   '  Sister  Belle/  and  confessed  to 


138 

that  rare  combination  of  golden  hair  with  black  eyes,  like  Lady  Pene- 
lope Rich,  Sir  Philip  Sydney's  first  love.  But  my  duty  as  a  member 
of  this  Commission  compelled  me  to  complete  my  investigations,  and 
make  application  to  the  fourth  and  last  Medium  for  answering  Sealed 
Letters. 

As  I  have  stated,  this  Medium  is  also  a  woman,  and  resides  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. Her  circular  directs  the  sealed  letters  to  be  '  well  sealed 
or  stitched,  so  that  they  may  not  be  opened  until  returned.' 

To  this  Medium,  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Martin,  Oxford,  Mass.,  was  sent  the 

same  letter  to  W H that  had  been  sent  to  her  predecessor,  of 

the  same  name,  in  Columbus,  and  it  was  put  in  an  envelope,  merely 
gummed  and  sealed,  without  the  silk  stitches. 

Within  a  few  days  I  received  the  following  note,  enclosingmy  sealed 

envelope :     '  A  message  awaits  your  order  from  W H .  Please 

state  if  you  recognize  Mrs.  M.  F.  H. — Several  friends  came  and  that 
name  was  mentioned.  *  *  *  There  are  some  words  in  an  unknown 
tongue.' 

The  minute  that  I  looked  at  the  returned  envelope,  I  felt  like  stand- 
ing uncovered,  as  in  the  presence  of  genius,  a  genius  before  which 
Mediums  One,  Two  and  Three  paled.  Nothing  could  excel  the  un- 
sullied virginity  of  the  seals,  or  of  the  gummed  spaces  between  them. 
I  felt  that  I  must  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution.  With  a  very 
sharp  penknife  I  then  began  to  cut  the  edge  of  the  envelope  at 
one  end.  Scarcely  had  the  knife  been  drawn  very  slowly  more  than 
the  half  of  an  inch  before  it  became  manifest  that  the  edge  of  the 
envelope  presented  more  resistance  than  the  simple  fold  of  paper  would 
make.  I  stopped  and  examined  the  severed  edges.  Very  delicate  but 
very  distinct  traces  were  visible  of  a  thin  mucilage,  perhaps  of  rice- 
water  or  of  diluted  gum-tragacanth.  How  exquisite  and  how  light  are 
the  touches  of  ethereal,  Spiritual  fingers !  After  all  the  trouble  with 
my  seals,  when,  emulating  Dr.  Watt's  Busy  Bee,  '  so  neat  I  spread  my 
wax/  it  was  beginning  to  dawn  upon  me  that  clairvoyant  eyes,  quite 
as  much  as  our  own,  require  Heaven's  broad  sunshine  on  black  ink 
and  white  paper. 

The  transmission  of  the  fee  brought  in  a  few  days  the  following  : 


'  Dictated  by  the  Spirit  of  W H- — . 

To  H.  H.  Furness.  I  found  things  very  different  here  from  what  I 
expected.  I  think  that  is  almost  the  universal  experience.  The  half 
has  not  been  told,  nor  can  it  ever  be,  for  no  language  known  to  human- 
ity can  convey  any  definite  knowledge  of  the  mysteries  of  the  Spiritual 
Life. 


139 

I  remain  the  same  toward  you  and  all  my  earthly  friends.  Am 
with  you  frequently.     Was  present  in  your  Library  with  you  one  day 

recently.     I  send  my  love  to  M F and  to  all  others  who  knew 

me  in  earth-life. 

A  friend  whom  we  both  know  and  respect  will  pass  over  to  this  side 
before  long. 

Will  come  to  you  again.' 

I  cannot  but  think  that  all  will  agree  in  estimating  this  communica- 
tion, with  its  adroit  generalization,  and  in  its  general  tone  as  superior 
to  any  thus  far  received.     On  another  sheet  of  paper  was  written  : 

'  There  is  a  Spirit  Friend  present,  who  gives  the  name  of  Marie  St. 
Clair.  Earth-life  had  not  much  pleasure  for  her,  and  a  course  of 
dissapation  [sic]  and  sin  resulted  in  an  untimely  death.  Born  of 
French  parentage,  and  inheriting  some  of  the  peculiar  characteristics 
of  that  people  might  perhaps  furnish  some  excuse.  This  Spirit  says 
furthermore,  you  have  something  which  once  belonged  to  her  in  your 
possession. 

"  Behold  this  ruin,  'tis  a  skull 
Once  of  etherial  spirit  full — " 
"  Par  quel  ordre  du  Ciel,  que  je  ne  puis  compendre 
Vous  dis-je  plus  que  je  ne  dois  ?" 

Here  is  evidently  '  a  spirit  of  no  common  rate/  of  whom  we  might 
well  desire  further  acquaintance,  albeit  at  the  cost  of  losing  golden- 
haired,  black-eyed  Sister  Belle.  But  why  should  we  talk  of '  loss  ?'  If, 
as  Banquo  says,  '  there's  husbandry  in  Heaven,'  why  should  we  not  in 
the  '  Summer-land '  find  one  and  the  same  skull,  with  frugal  economy, 
given  to  two  owners  ? 

Desirous  of  submitting  the  mother-wit  of  this  Medium  to  the  test  of 
stitched  envelopes,  I  wrote  the  following  : — '  Is  Marie  St.  Clair  pleased 
in  having  her  skull  carefully  treasured  here  in  my  Library  ?  Does  it 
gratify  her,  as  a  Spirit,  that  it  is  mounted  on  black  marble  ?  Does  she 
ever  hover  over  it  V 

This  was  placed  in  an  envelope,  gummed,  and  sealed  with  five  seals 
in  the  ordinary,  easy-going  way,  and  marked  No.  1. 

The  very  same  questions  were  repeated  on  another  piece  of  paper  and 
put  in  an  envelope,  which  was  stitched  securely  with  silk,  the  stitches 
passing  through  both  the  envelope  and  the  paper,  and  carefully  con- 
cealed under  the  sealing  wax.  This  was  marked  No.  2,  and  in  the 
note  accompanying  these  two  envelopes,  the  Medium  was  requested  to 


140 

sit  with  No.  1  first.  The  Test  was  the  same  as  that  to  which  Dr. 
Mansfield  had  been  subjected,  and  to  which  he  had  succumbed. 

The  mail  soon  returned  both  envelopes,  with  this  note : — '  The 
reply  comes  to  us  in  the  affirmative  to  both  envelopes.  There  is  quite 
a  communication  for  you  from  same  Spirit  Friend.' 

A  close  examination  of  the  edges  of  the  envelopes  soon  revealed  the 
edge  at  which  they  had  been  opened  and  closed  again.  That  edge  has 
been  preserved  intact  for  future  verification,  if  required,  and  the  envel- 
opes were  opened  by  cutting  the  other  edges.  The  seals  had  not  been 
removed ;  as,  in  fact,  there  was  no  need  of  removing  them.  The  paper 
containing  the  questions  had  not  been  extracted  from  No.  2 ;  it  still  re- 
mained firmly  stitched  to  the  front  of  the  envelope.  Yet  the  Medium 
had  evidently  read  it.  Her  words  are  ■  the  reply  comes  in  the  affirm- 
ative to  both  envelopes/  which  is  a  good,  fair  answer.  I  was  puzzled,  it 
must  be  confessed.  Suddenly  it  occurred  to  me  to  try  how  far  one 
could  look  into  the  contents  of  the  paper,  supposing  the  end  of  the  en- 
velope to  be  open.  I  tried  it,  and  lo !  enough  can  be  easily  read  to 
make  out  that  No.  2  is  a  repetition  of  No.  1.  The  needle  had  missed 
taking  up  all  the  folds  of  the  paper  ! 

The  communication  from  Marie  St.  Clair,  which  accompanied  these 
envelopes,  runs  thus: — 'To  H.  H.  Furness.  Your  kindly  nature  has 
often  drawn  the  Spirit  of  Marie  to  your  side.  I  consider  myself  in- 
debted to  you  for  certain  acts  which  you  will  understand.  Not  that 
the  poor  inanimate  thing  which  you  have  so  kindly  treated,  is  of  itself 
of  much  account,  but  your  kindness  has  often  drawn  me  to  your  side 
in  moments  when  you  little  dreamed  I  were  near.  Had  I  met  in  ma- 
terial existence  one  like  yourself  my  past  might  have  been  far  differ- 
ent. In  this  beautiful  life,  the  sources  and  courses  of  all  earthly 
misfortunes  and  sins  appear  to  us  like  a  figure  seen  in  a  dream.  The 
lowest  plane  of  Spiritual  life  is  as  much  superior  to  earthly  exist- 
ence as  sunlight  is  superior  to  starlight.  From  Marie  St.  Clair. 
Please  inform  Mrs.  Martin  why  you  so  carefully  preserved  the  skull, 
and  where  you  obtained  it,  and  all  you  know  about  it,  and  oblige 
yours  truly,  E.  A.  Martin.  There  is  an  acrostic  upon  your  name 
waiting  for  you  here  from  Marie.' 

If  the  fair  and  frail  Marie  appears  somewhat  cautious  in  direct 
allusions  to  her  skull,  and  to  her  *  earth-life,'. it  is  certainly  to  her  credit 
that  she  seems  to  have  retained  no  taint  of  mercenary  greed.  She 
made  no  demand  or  reference  to  a  fee,  and  a  second  letter  had  to  be 
sent  to  her  Medium  to  learn  the  amount  of  my  debt.  This  is  her 
reply: — 'Your  kind  favour  came  duly  to  me,  and  as  your  message 


141 

to  your  Spirit  Friend  was  delivered  previously,  that  is,  as  soon  as  it 
was  written,  I  had  no  further  effort  to  make  than  to  convey  the  follow- 
ing to  you : 

'  Amants,  heureux  arnants,  voulez-vous  voyager !  Que  ce  soit  aux 
rives  prochaines. 

Patience,  je  n'en  ai  pas  quand  je  suis  si  pres  et  si  loin  de  vous. 

Ah !  tout  ce  qu'il  y  a  dans  le  coeur  de  crainte,  de  douleur,  de  des- 
espoir,  j'ai  tout  devine;  tout  souffert,  je  puis  tout  exprimer  maintenant 
surtout  la  joie.     Adieu!     Marie  St.  Clair.' 

Here  end  my  investigations  into  the  power  of  Spirits  to  answer  sealed 
questions. 

In  every  instance  the  envelopes  had  been  opened  and  reclosed ;  it  is 
therefore  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  every  instance  has  borne  the 
stamp  of  Fraud. 

There  is  yet  one  other  dark  chapter,  perhaps  the  darkest  of  all,  which 
my  duty  compelled  me  to  read. 

I  began  with  Dr.  Mansfield,  in  Boston ;  let  me  end  with  him  there. 

In  addition  to  the  answering  of  sealed  letters  sent  to  him  by  mail, 
this  Medium  exercises  his  Mediumistic  powers  on  questions  propounded 
to  him,  or  rather  to  the  Spirits  through  him,  at  his  own  home. 

His  method  of  work,  as  described  by  several  highly  intelligent  ob- 
servers, is  somewhat  as  follows : — There  are  two  tables  in  the  room  of 
seance,  at  one  of  which  sits  the  Medium,  at  the  other  the  visitor.  The 
visitor  at  his  table  writes  his  question  in  pencil  at  the  top  of  a  long 
slip  of  paper,  and,  after  folding  over  several  times  the  portion  of  the 
slip  on  which  his  question  is  written,  gums  it  down  with  mucilage  and 
hands  it  to  the  Medium,  who  thereupon  places  on  the  folded  and  gum- 
med portion  his  left  hand,  and  in  a  few  minutes  with  his  right 
hand  writes  down  answers  to  the  concealed  questions ;  these  answers 
are  marvels  of  pertinency,  and  prove  beyond  a  cavil  the  Clairvoyant 
or  Spiritual  powers  of  the  Medium.  So  remarkable  are  the  results  of 
this  phase  of  Mediumship,  that  through  them  and  through  the  high 
standing  and  intelligence  of  those  who  believe  in  him,  this  particular 
Medium  is  a  tower  of  Spiritualistic  strength.  Examine  my  informants 
as  narrowly  as  possible,  there  appeared  to  be  no  possibility  of  fraud. 
The  impression  had  gradually  deepened  in  my  mind  that  here  is  an  in- 
stance of  genuine  Spiritual  power.  But  the  fraudulent  character  of 
his  dealings  with  the  sealed  letters  made  me  fear  that  falsus  in  uno, 
falsus  in  omnibus. 


142 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1885,  I  called  on  Dr.  Mansfield  at  his  house, 
No.  28  Dartmouth  Street,  and  was  ushered  into  the  second  story  front 
room — a  bedroom.  There  were,  I  think,  three  front  windows  looking 
on  the  street;  at  the  farthest  was  the  Medium's  table,  so  placed  side- 
ways to  the  window,  and  close  to  it,  that  the  full  light  fell  on  the  Me- 
dium's left  hand,  as  he  sat  at  it,  and  faced  the  middle  of  the  room.  In 
front  of  the  Medium,  as  he  sat  at  the  table  with  his  back  to  the  wall, 
were  the  usual  writing  materials,  lead  pencils  and  mucilage  bottle,  and 
beyond  them,  on  the  edge  of  the  table  farthest  from  the  Medium,  and 
between  him  and  the  rest  of  the  room,  was  a  row  of  books,  octavos, 
etc.,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  table  and  terminating  in  a  tin 
box,  like  a  deed  box,  with  pamphlets  on  it.  When  the  Medium  sits  at 
his  table,  this  row  of  books  is  between  him  and  his  visitor.  The  table 
for  the  visitor  is  a  small  one,  near  one  of  the  other  windows  and  six  or 
seven  feet  from  the  Medium.  On  this  table  were  a  number  of  strips  of 
paper  and  a  pencil. 

The  Medium,  who  did  not  ask  my  name,  bade  me  take  a  seat  at 
the  small  table  and  write  my  question  on  one  of  the  strips  of  paper,  and 
then  to  fold  down  the  paper  two  or  three  times. 

I  sat  down  and  wrote,  "  Has  Marie  St.  Clair  met  Sister  Belle  in  the 
other  world?"  I  then  folded  that  portion  of  the  strip  of  paper  down 
three  times,  and  told  the  Medium  that  it  was  ready  for  the  mucilage; 
he  came  over  from  his  table  at  once  with  a  brush  of  mucilage,  and 
spread  it  abundantly  under  the  last  fold.  Then,  taking  the  strip  be- 
tween his  thumb  and  forefinger,  he  walked  with  it  back  to  his  table, 
keeping  it  in  my  sight  all  the  time.  As  soon  as  he  took  his  seat  and 
laid  the  strip  on  his  table  before  him,  I  rose  and  approached  his  table, 
so  as  to  keep  my  paper  still  in  sight ;  the  row  of  books  entirely  intercepted 
my  view  of  it.  The  Medium  instantly  motioned  to  me  to  return  to  my 
seat,  and,  I  think,  told  me  to  do  so.  I  obeyed,  and  as  I  did  so  could 
not  repress  a  profound  sigh.  Why  had  no  one  ever  told  me  of  that 
row  of  books?  The  Medium  did  not  sit  in  statue-like  repose,  but  moved 
his  body  much,  and  his  arms  frequently;  his  hands  I  could  not  see, 
hidden  as  they  were,  behind  the  row  of  books.  After  a  minute  or  two 
the  Medium  looked  up  and  said,  '  I  don't  know  whether  I  can  get  any 
communication  from  this  Spirit,'  a  remark  which  a  long  experience 
with  Slate-Writing  Mediums  has  taught  me  to  regard  as  a  highly 
favorable  omen,  and  as  an  indication  that  they  have  read  the  question 
and  are  now  about  to  begin  the  little  game,  in  which  I  always  take 
much  interest,  of  experiencing  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  '  rap- 
port,' as  they  term  it.     Dr.  Mansfield  frowned,  shook  his  head  and  as- 


143 

sumed  an  air  of  great  doubt  and  perplexity.  I  was  certain  that  there 
would  be  now  an  ostentatious  display  of  the  strip  of  paper,  and  sure 
enough,  in  a  minute  more  the  Medium,  strip  in  hand,  came  over  to  my 
table,  and  shook  his  head  ominously.  He  placed  his  left  hand  on  the 
portion  of  the  strip  containing  my  question,  and  began  tapping  on  it 
with  his  forefinger.  'Pray,  tell  me,'  I  said,  'is  that  motion  of  your 
forefinger  voluntary  or  involuntary?'  'It's  my  telegraph  to 'em,' he 
replied,  'getting  'em  to  come.'  'I  don't  want  to  weary  you,'  I  rejoined, 
'but  if  that  tapping  will  bring  them,  do  keep  it  up!  I  cannot  tell  you 
Vow  anxious  I  am  to  hear  from  this  Spirit.'  He  paused,  and  then 
made  some  marks,  like  cabalistic  signs,  which  are  still  to  be  seen  on  the 
paper.  Then  the  tapping  was  resumed.  Then  more  cabalistic  signs 
were  made.  At  last  he  said,  'Put  your  left  foot  against  mine,  and  your 
left  knee  against  mine,  and  hook  your  forefinger  into  mine,  and  pull 
hard.'  I  did  so.  'Stop,'  he  cried,  'is  it  Maria?'  'Yes,'  I  replied, 
'  that's  it,  she  is  called  ' Marie.'  It's  Marie ! '  'I  have  to  go  by  the 
sound,'  he  rejoined.  "We  then  pulled  forefingers  again.  'Stop,'  he 
cried,  'is  there  a  'Saint'  about  it?'  'Yes,'  I  answered,  'St.  is  the  first 
part  of  the  next  name!  I  have  so  longed  to  have  her  come  to  me.' 
Dr.  Mansfield  arose,  gathered  up  the  strip  and  returned  to  his  table.  I 
could  go  now  unopposed  and  stand  by  him  while  he  wrote  the  follow- 
ing :  '  I  am  with  you  my  dear  Bro  but  too  xcited  to  speak  for  a  moment 
have  patience  brother  and  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  do  to  control.  Your 
sister  Marie  St.  Clair.' 

The  change  in  kinship,  and  its  novelty,  staggered  me  somewhat; 
clearly  they  manage  things  differently  in  the  '  Summer-land.'  However, 
I  mastered  my  emotion.  'And  now,'  I  said,  'for  the  great  question,' 
and  was  going  hastily  to  my  table  to  write  it.  'Stop,'  said  the  Medium, 
1  you're  too  excited  to  ask  that  question  now.  Put  some  other  questions 
first.  Then  when  you  are  calmer  put  the  important  question.'  (A 
clever  stroke!  He  did  not  know  enough  of  me  or  of  Marie  to  answer 
anything  definitely — a  few  intermediate  questions  might  furnish  him 
with  many  a  clue.)  'But,  my  dear  sir,'  I  cried,  'what  can  I  ask 
about  ?  I  have  but  one  thought  in  my  mind ;  that  engulfs  all  others. 
If  I  don't  ask  that,  I  shall  have  to  ask  Marie  if  she  minds  this  pouring 
rain,  or  some  twaddle  about  the  weather.'  'Well,  well,  you'd  better 
ask  it  then,  and  get  it  off  your  mind,  and  we'll  see  how  far  Marie  can 
answer  it.'  (Here  let  me  recall  that  stanza  in  Sister  Belle's  communi- 
cation wherein  she  says: 

"  My  form  was  sold  to  doctors  three 
And  you  have  all  that's  left  of  me,"  etc.) 


144 

I  sat  down  at  my  table  and  wrote:  'Is  it  really  true  that  Sister 
Belle's  body  was  sold  to  three  doctors?'  I  folded  it  down,  carried  it 
to  the  Medium's  table,  watched  him  gum  it,  and  still  remained  stand- 
ing at  his  table,  but  he  immediately  and  peremptorily  waved  me  to  my 
seat.  Again  were  his  hands  and  my  strip  of  paper,  with  its  freshly 
gummed  fold,  completely  hidden  from  sight,  behind  the  row  of  books. 
Again  the  Medium's  arms  moved.  He  turned  to  the  window  and 
hastily  pulled  down  the  shade.  This  puzzled  me.  There  was  no  sun- 
shine to  be  excluded,  it  was  raining  fast  outside,  the  day  was  unusually 
dark,  and  he  needed  all  the  light  he  could  get.  I  turned  and  looked 
out  of  my  window,  and  there  in  the  house  just  across  the  narrow 
street,  at  a  window  on  a  level  with  ours,  and  commanding  a  full  view 
of  the  Medium's  table,  sat  a  woman  sewing,  with  another,  I  think, 
standing  by  her.  '  Bravo ! '  I  thought,  '  are  not  the  four  Cardinal  vir- 
tues, Temperance,  Justice,  Prudence  and  Fortitude?'  and  then  resumed 
my  watch  inside.  Dr.  Mansfield  finished  writing,  and  then  held  up  the 
slip  as  though  for  a  final  revision  before  handing  it  to  me.  A  tooth- 
pick which  he  had  in  his  mouth  worked  energetically  from  side  to  side, 
and  he  gravely  shook  his  head  as  in  perplexity.  'I  don't  like  this,'  he 
ejaculated  at  last,  'I  don't  want  to  give  it  to  you.  There'll  be  trouble 
here.  It's  very  serious.  Better  let  me  tear  it  up.'  '  Let  me  see  it,'  I 
cried,  '  I  promise  you  I'll  be  calm,'  and  I  took  the  strip  from  his  fingers 
and  read: 

*  Dear  Brother — I  fear  such  was  the  case — but — I  could  not  say  who 
— I  have  consulted  Dr.  Hare — and  the  far  famed  Benja  Rush,  and 
they  agree  that  the  body  is  not  in  the  earth — I  fear  darling  Belle's 
body — is  in  process  of  being — wired.     Marie  St.  Clair.' 

The  last  word  was  not,  I  thought,  quite  legible,  so  I  appealed  to  the 
Medium,  and  when  he  solemnly  said  '  wired,'  the  utterance  with  which  I 
greeted  it  he  probably  thought  was  a  groan,  and,  indeed,  from  the  bor- 
derland of  laughter,  I  did  try  to  push  it  over  into  the  land  of  tears,  as 
hard  as  I  could. 

My  third  question  immediately  followed :  "  Can  you  give  me  any 
information  as  to  where  even  a  portion  of  the  body  is?"  Again  I  was 
Waved  to  my  seat,  again  my  strip  of  paper  and  the  hands  were  con- 
cealed, again  the  arms  were  nervously  moved.  This  answer  I  awaited 
with  not  a  little  anxiety.  Surely,  surely,  Marie  St.  Clair  and  Sister 
Belle  would  remember  that  their  joint  skull  was  in  my  library. 
They  had  told  me  so,  only  a  few  weeks  before,  and  as  that  skull  was 
known  to  be  fifty  or  sixty  years  old,  and  their  united  memory  of  it  had 


145 

lasted  throughout  those  long  years,  surely  that  memory  would  not 
desert  them  now.  And  Dr.  '  Benja '  Rush,  who  had  recently  greeted 
me  as  '  townsman/  he  was  present  and  surely  he  would  come  to  the 
rescue  of  Spiritualism,  and  gladly  seize  the  chance  to  settle  the  question 
which  he  had  once  discussed  with  Combe,  and  Gall,  and  Spurzheim  by 
bringing  forward  the  frail  Marie  and  the  golden-haired,  black-eyed 
Belle  as  tenants  in  common  (and  uncommon)  of  the  same  skull. 
Moreover,  I  thought,  are  there  not  to  be  found  in  Anatomical  Museums 
skeletons  of  infants  with  one  body  and  two  heads?  Why  may  not  this 
have  been  an  instance  of  one  head  and  two  bodies  ?  To  be  sure,  one 
of  the  bodies  lived  in  Ohio  and  the  other  in  Massachusetts,  but  then 
when  we  have  once  started  on  a  journey  through  the  marvels  of  Spirit- 
ualism, as  portrayed  by  these  four  Mediums,  what  does  such  a  trifle  as 
this  amount  to  ?  I  had,  I  reflected,  in  all  seriousness,  taken  no  single 
step  in  the  investigation  of  these  Mediums  that  was  not  fully  authorized 
by  the  explicit  statements  received  from  the  Mediums  themselves.  I 
had  accepted  as  truth  what  they  told  me  was  truth.  If  Spiritualism  is 
hereby  wounded,  it  is  wounded  in  the  house  of  its  own  disciples. 

At  last  my  answer  came :  '  I  am  not  allowed  to  divulge  what  i"  think 
— much  less  what  I  know — it  would  be  productive  of  more  harm  than 
good — let  them  have  it — it  is  but  earth  at  best — they  have  not  got  our 
precious  Belle — she  is  safe  in  the  Haven  of  Eternal  repose — J  would 
not  make  any  noise  about  it — but  let  it  pass — as  a  discovery  of  it 
would  give  you  pain  rather  than  otherwise — Belle  says  let  it  pass — the 
triune  that  have  it  bought  it  without  knowing  whose  it  was,  and  such 
care  as  little  as  they  know. 

Marie  St.  Clair.' 

I  felt  that  it  was  time  that  a  conclusion  should  be  put  to  this  farce, 
so  humiliating  in  the  thought  that  honest,  unsuspicious,  gentle  men  and 
gentle  women  are  daily  deceived  by  it.  Nevertheless,  I  wished  to  bring 
the  'wheel  full  circle'  to  this  Medium's  Spiritual  communications 
of  aforetime.  I  recalled  that  Cornelia  Winnie's  spirit  had  said  that 
she  thought  the  skull  was  Dina  Melish's  '  top  not.'  My  fourth,  and 
last,  question  therefore  ran :  '  Do  you  think  that  by  any  chance  Dina 
Melish  would  know?'  To  which  the  answer  came:  "Well  Brother, 
as  to  that  She  may  know  more  than  She  may  be  willing  to  divulge 
— you  see,  Brother,  it  places  Dinah  in  a  very  unpleasant  position, 
i.  e.,  should  it  be  noised  abroad  that  she  was  in  the  secret.  I  do 
not  by  any  means  censure  Dinah  for  what  she  may  know,  if  know  she 
does.    You  could  xamine  Dinah  on  that  point — carefully,  not  allowing 

10 


146 

her  to  suspect  your  object  in  so  doing.     You  might  and  might  not 

elicit  some  light  on  the  matter. 

Marie  St.  Clair.' 
14  May,  '85. 

After  I  had  handed  this  last  question  to  Dr.  Mansfield  a  slight 
incident  enabled  me,  to  my  own  satisfaction,  to  note  the  exact  instant 
when  he  read  my  question  (he  would  say,  '  clairvoyantly ')  behind  his 
row  of  books.  He  once  lifted  his  eyes  to  mine,  and  met  them  full  for 
an  instant  in  a  piercing  look.  I  do  not  think  he  suspected  that  I  was 
his  former  correspondent  (I  would  have  told  him  willingly  who  I  was 
if  he  had  ever  asked  me),  but  the  name  'Dina  Melish'  seemed  to  come 
back  to  his  memory,  as  one  that  he  had  heard  but  could  not  localize. 
Of  course  I  knew  that  he  had  just  read  my  question. 

I  told  him  that  these  were  all  the  questions  I  desired  to  ask  him. 
He  exhorted  me  to  be  calm,  and  told  me  a  cheerful  story  of  a  young 
girl's  having  been  recently  buried  alive,  of  which,  I  infer,  the  moral 
was,  that  she  would  have  found  it  more  comfortable  all  round  to  have 
been  sold  to  the  doctors.     I  paid  him  his  fee  and  left. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  add  that  we  have  by  no  means  exhausted  the 
lessons  which  Spiritualism,  in  the  hands  of  some  of  its  votaries,  can 
teach  us.  To  our  purblind  vision  the  joint  ownership  of  one  skull  by 
two  different  persons  presents  a  physiological  problem  more  or  less 
difficult  of  solution.  But  all  difficulty  vanishes  as  soon  as  'the  river  is 
crossed.'  I  derived  no  little  comfort  and  much  light  from  a  Material- 
izing Seance  which  I  attended  shortly  afterwards  in  Boston,  where 
both  Marie  St.  Clair  and  Sister  Belle  appeared  together,  at  the  same 
time,  and  greeted  me  with  affectionate  warmth.  To  my  inexpressi- 
ble relief  they  were  each  well  provided  with  skulls.  They  were 
more  mature  and  matronly,  I  confess,  than  my  ardent  fancy  had 
painted  them,  and  Sister  Belle's  'golden  curls  one  yard  long'  were 
changed  to  very  straight  black  hair;  the  golden  hue  which  Sister  Belle 
had  herself  ascribed  to  them  must  have  been  due  to  the  light  in  which 
she  saw  them,  'the  light  that  never  was  on  sea  or  land.' 

I  was  pleased  to  find  that  Marie's  English  was  excellent,  without  a 
trace  of  foreign  accent.  But  this,  and  the  matronly  appearance,  I 
learned  subsequently  were  presumably  due  to  the  age,  shape  and  nativity 
of  the  Medium  through  whom  she  materialized.  For  when  Marie 
afterwards  appeared  to  me,  as  she  did  many  times  at  another  Medium's 
seances,  her  appearance  was  quite  youthful,  with  clustering  brown 
curls  low  down  on  her  forehead,  which  when  I  once  attempted  to  stroke 


147 

I  found  to  be  full  of  sharp  pins;  and  to  my  expressions  of  gratitude 
that  she  should  so  kindly  appear  to  me,  she  lisped  in  broken  English : 

I I  am  viz  you  olvays.'  The  present  of  an  amber  necklace,  with  the 
name  'Marie'  engraved  on  the  silver  clasp,  obtained  for  me  from  her 
the  written  expression  of  her  pleasure  that  I  had  carefully  preserved 
what  I  assured  her  was  '  the  last  thing  on  her  neck  before  she  passed 
over.'  Need  I  say  that  this  document,  in  Marie's  own  handwriting, 
invests  the  skull  with  even  added  interest? 

Horace  Howard  Furness. 


148 


MATERIALIZATION. 

I  think  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  psychological  study  more  in- 
teresting than  that  which  is  afforded  by  a  Materializing  seance.  I  have 
never  attended  one  that  did  not  yield  abundant  food  for  reflection,  and 
present  one  problem,  at  least,  too  deep  for  any  solution  I  can  devise. 
Although,  perhaps,  our  first  experience  in  such  seances  makes  the 
deepest  impression,  yet  the  novelty  never  wears  off,  nor  can  custom 
stale  its  variety.  The  audiences  are  never  wholly  the  same,  and  every 
Medium  has  her  own  peculiar  method. 

In  the  cities  where  the  Mediums  reside,  and  where  they  hold  their 
seances  on  regular  days  throughout  the  winter,  the  audiences  are  by  no 
means  composed  only  of  those  who  go  out  of  idle  curiosity ;  these  form 
but  a  small  segment  of  the  'circle,'  the  majority  are  regular  attendants, 
mostly  those  whose  lives  have  been  clouded  by  sorrow,  and  who  go 
thither  as  to  a  church  or  sanctuary,  and  so  serious  and  earnest  is  their 
deportment  that  I  cannot  imagine  any  temptation  to  open  levity. 
This  unaffectedly  religious  character  of  these  seances  cannot  fail,  I 
think,  to  strike  even  the  most  indifferent.  The  careful  arrangement  of 
the  visitors  who  are  to  compose  what  is  termed  the  '  circle ;'  the  nice 
balancing  of  positive  natures  with  negative  natures,  wherein  the  Medium 
is  guided  by  her  delicate  spiritual  insight ;  the  quiet  hush ;  the  whis- 
pered conversation;  the  darkened  room;  the  darker  drapery  of  the 
mysterious  Cabinet,  with  its  untold  possibilities ;  the  subdued  chords 
of  the  dim  melodeon;  the  soothing  tones  of  familiar  hymns,  in  which 
all  voices  join;  the  words  full  of  assurance  of  a  deathless  life,  of  im- 
mortal love,  of  reunion  with  earthly  idols,  not  lost,  but  gone  before  only 
a  very  little  distance,  and  now  present  and  impatient  for  the  Medium's 
trance  to  enable  them  to  return  radiant  with  love  and  joy — all  these 
conspire  to  kindle  emotions  deeply  religious  in  hearts  that  are  break- 
ing under  blows  of  bereavement,  and  of  such,  as  I  have  said,  the 
majority  of  the  audiences  are  composed.  Every  effort  is  made  by 
the  Mediums  to  heighten  the  effect.  Before  entering  the  Cabinet  to 
undergo  her  mysterious  trance,  the  Medium  generally  makes  a  short 
address,  reminding  the  circle  that  this  is  a  solemn  hour,  that  here  is 
the  forecourt  of  the  world  beyond,  thronged  with  living  Spirits,  eager 
to  return,  bearing  visible,  tangible  assurance  of  immortality  and  of 
enduring  love,  and  that  the  mysterious  agency,  whereby  they  return, 


149 

is  greatly  aided  by  a  sympathetic  harmony  in  the  circle,  and  so  forth. 
The  Medium  then  enters  the  Cabinet ;  the  curtains  close ;  the  light  is 
lowered  ;  the  organ  sounds  some  solemn  chords,  gliding  into  the  hymn, 
*  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee/  which  all  join  in  singing.  At  its  close  there 
is  a  hush  of  anticipation ;  and  that  nature  must  be  unimpressionable 
indeed,  that  is  not  stirred  when  the  dark,  heavy  folds  of  the  curtains  of 
the  Cabinet  are  discerned  to  be  tremulously  moving ;  and,  as  they  gently 
part,  disclose  a  figure  veiled  from  head  to  foot  in  robes  of  white. 

If  the  return  of  the  heavenly  visitant  would  but  end  here,  I  think 
the  impression  would  be  deeper  and  more  abiding.  The  filmy,  vague 
outline  of  the  white  figure  thoroughly  harmonizes  with  all  estab- 
lished, orthodox  notions  of  ghosts,  and  if  this  were  all  of  the  apparition 
vouchsafed  to  us,  we  might,  perhaps,  have  a  harder  problem  to  deal 
with  than  when  the  Spirit  actually  emerges  from  the  Cabinet  with  out- 
stretched arms  of  greeting.  A  substantial,  warm,  breathing,  flesh  and 
blood  ghost,  whose  foot-falls  jar  the  floor,  is  slightly  heterodox  and 
taxes  our  credulity ;  if  hereunto  be  added  an  unmistakable  likeness  to 
the  Medium  in  form  and  feature,  many  traces,  I  am  afraid,  of  the 
supernatural  and  spiritual  vanish. 

Mindful  of  our  endeavour  as  a  Commission,  to  have  as  many  observ- 
ers as  possible  in  cases  demanding  close  observation,  I  never  attended 
a  Materializing  seance  as  a  member  of  this  Commission.  Whenever  I 
happened  to  be  personally  known  (and  my  ear-trumpet  soon  makes 
me  a  marked  man),  that  official  capacity  was  unavoidably  imputed  to 
me,  but  I  never  announced  it  nor  claimed  it.  I  was  present  merely 
as  an  observer  on  my  own  account,  with  the  intention  of  making 
arrangements,  if  practicable,  for  seances  with  the  rest  of  the  Commis- 
sion, if  what  I  saw  seemed  to  me  sufficiently  remarkable  to  justify  the 
expense,  which  experience,  with  other  Mediums  in  other  lines,  had 
taught  me  would  be  very  considerable.  I  therefore  took  no  notes,  and 
could  at  this  late  day  only  after  much  difficulty  furnish  dates.  Where- 
fore all  that  I  propose  in  this  Memorandum  is  to  give  my  own  private 
conclusion,  which  is  worth  no  more  than  the  conclusion  of  any  other 
private  individual,  and  to  mention  the  test  to  which  I  subjected  all  the 
Spirits  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  specially  '  interviewing ' ;  as 
this  test  can  be  applied  by  any  one,  at  any  time,  at  any  seance,  it  par- 
takes of  the  nature  of  a  general  truth,  which  does  not  need  the  support 
of  dates,  or  names,  or  places  to  uphold  it.  I  suppose  I  have  attended 
between  twenty  and  thirty  Materializing  seances. 


150 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge  that  I  have  been  throughout  sin- 
cerely and  extremely  anxious  to  become  converted  to  Spiritualism.  In 
whatever  direction  my  judgment  is  warped,  it  is  warped  in  favor  of 
that  belief.  I  cannot  conceive  of  the  texture  of  that  mind  which  would 
not  welcome  such  an  indisputable  proof  of  immortality  as  Spiritualism 
professes  to  hold  out. 

In  general,  then,  let  me  say  at  once  and  emphatically  that  I  have  never 
seen  anything  which,  in  the  smallest  degree,  has  led  me  to  suppose  that  a 
Spirit  can  be,  as  it  is  termed,  materialized.  It  is  superfluous  to  add  that 
I  never  recognized  a  materialized  Spirit;  in  only  two  instances  have  any 
Spirits  professed  to  be  members  of  my  family,  and  in  one  of  those  two 
instances,  as  it  happened,  that  member  was  alive  and  in  robust  health, 
and  in  the  other  a  Spirit  claimed  a  fictitious  relationship,  that  of  niece. 

Of  course  this  assertion  applies  only  to  those  Spirits  who  materialized 
especially  for  me.  I  do  not  pretend  to  answer  for  Spirits  who  came  to 
other  people.  All  that  I  am  quite  sure  of  is  that  all  the  Spirits  who 
singled  me  out  from  the  circle,,  and  emerged  from  the  Cabinet  for  my 
benefit,  were  not  only  abundantly  '  padded  round  with  flesh  and  fat/ 
but  also  failed  utterly  in  any  attempt  to  establish  their  individuality ; 
and  moreover,  in  the  instances  where  I  had  seen  the  Medium  before  she 
entered  the  Cabinet,  so  closely  resembled  the  Medium  as,  in  my  eyes,  to 
be  indistinguishable  from  her. 

It  is,  I  confess,  a  very  puzzling  problem  (it  is,  in  fact,  the  problem 
to  which  I  alluded  above)  to  account  for  the  faith,  undoubtedly  gen- 
uine, which  Spiritualists  have  in  the  personal  reappearance  of  their 
departed  friends.  Again  and  again  have  I  asked  those  who  have  re- 
turned, from  an  interview  with  a  Spirit  at  the  Cabinet,  to  their  seats 
beside  me,  whether  or  not  they  had  recognized  their  friends  beyond  a 
peradventure,  and  have  always  received  an  affirmative  reply,  some- 
times strongly  affirmative.  I  was  once  taken  to  the  Cabinet  by  a 
woman  and  introduced  to  the  Shade  of  her  dead  husband.  When  we 
resumed  our  seats,  I  could  not  help  asking  her :  '  Are  you  sure  you 
recognized  him?'  Whereupon  she  instantly  retorted,  with  much  in- 
dignation, ' Do  you  mean  to  imply  that  I  don't  know  my  husband?' 
Again,  at  another  seance,  a  woman,  a  visitor,  led  from  the  Cabinet  to 
me  a  Materialized  Spirit,  whom  she  introduced  to  me  as  i  her  daughter, 
her  dear,  darling  daughter,'  while  nothing  could  be  clearer  to  me  than 
the  features  of  the  Medium  in  every  line  and  lineament.  Again  and 
again,  men  have  led  round  the  circles  the  Materialized  Spirits  of  their 
wives,  and  introduced  them  to  each  visitor  in  turn ;  fathers  have  taken 


151 

round  their  daughters,  and  I  have  seen  widows  sob  in  the  arms  of  their 
dead  husbands.  Testimony,  such  as  this,  staggers  me.  Have  I 
been  smitten  with  color-blindness  ?  Before  me,  as  far  as  I  can  detect, 
stands  the  very  Medium  herself,  in  shape,  size,  form,  and  feature  true 
to  a  line,  and  yet,  one  after  another,  honest  men  and  women  at  my 
side,  within  ten  minutes  of  each  other,  assert  that  she  is  the  absolute 
counterpart  of  their  nearest  and  dearest  friends,  nay,  that  she  is 
that  friend.  It  is  as  incomprehensible  to  me  as  the  assertion 
that  the  heavens  are  green,  and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  deep  blue. 
Can  it  be  that  the  faculty  of  observation  and  comparison  is  rare, 
and  that  our  features  are  really  vague  and  misty  to  our  best 
friends?  Is  it  that  the  Medium  exercises  some  mesmeric  influence 
on  her  visitors,  who  are  thus  made  to  accept  the  faces  which  she 
wills  them  to  see?  Or  is  it,  after  all,  only  the  dim  light  and  a 
fresh  illustration  of  la  nuit  tous  les  chats  sont  grisf  The  light,  be  it 
remembered,  is  always  dim  at  these  seances,  and  it  is  often  made  espe- 
cially dim  when  a  Spirit  leaves  the  Cabinet.  I  think  I  have  never 
been  able  at  such  times  to  read  the  Arabic  numerals  on  my  watch, 
which  happen  to  be  unusually  large  and  pronounced.  Unquestionably 
Spiritualists  will  be  at  no  loss  to  explain  this  puzzle ;  possibly  they 
would  say  that  I  have  here  unconsciously  given  one  of  the  very  best 
of  proofs  of  the  reality  and  genuineness  of  Materialization,  and  that 
my  unbelief  acts  on  the  sensitive,  evanescent  features  of  the  Spirit 
like  a  chemical  reagent,  and  that — but  it  is  not  worth  while  to  weaken 
by  anticipation  their  solacing  arguments. 

In  any  statement  of  this  problem  we  should  bear  in  mind  all  the  at- 
tending circumstances:  the  darkened  room;  the  music;  the  singing; 
the  pervading  hush  of  expectation ;  the  intensely  concentrated  attention ; 
the  strained  gaze  at  the  dark  Cabinet  and  at  its  white  robed  appari- 
tions ;  and  finally,  the  presence  of  a  number  of  sympathizing  believers. 

There  is  another  fact  about  these  seances  which  I  think  cannot  fail 
to  impress  even  the  most  casual  observer,  and  this  is  the  attractive 
charms  which  the  Cabinet  seems  to  possess  for  the  aboriginal  Indian. 
This  child  of  nature  appears  to  materialize  with  remarkable  facility, 
and,  having  apparently  doffed  his  characteristic  phlegm  in  the  happy 
hunting  grounds,  enters  with  extreme  zest  on  the  lighter  gambols  which 
sometimes  enliven  the  sombre  monotony  of  a  seance.  Almost  every 
Medium  keeps  an  Indian  '  brave '  in  her  cohort  of  Spirits ;  in  fact,  there 
is  no  Cabinet,  howe'er  so  ill  attended,  but  has  some  Indian  there.  It 
is  strange,  too,  that,  as  far  as  I  know,  departed  black  men,  who  might 
be  supposed  to  be  quite  as  unsophisticated  as  departed  red  men,  have 


152 

hitherto  developed  no  such  materializing  proclivities.  It  is,  perhaps, 
even  more  strange  that  while,  in  my  experience,  Italian  Spirits  neither 
understand  nor  speak  Italian,  and  French  Spirits  can  neither  compre- 
hend nor  talk  French,  and  German  Spirits  remain  invincibly  dumb  in 
German,  it  is  reserved  to  Indian  'braves'  to  be  glibly  and  fluently 
voluble  in  the  explosive  gutturals  of  their  own  well-known  tongue. 

Before  a  seance  begins,  a  thorough  examination  of  the  Cabinet  is 
always  tendered,  a  privilege  of  which  I  very  seldom  avail  myself,  and 
hold  to  be  always  superfluous,  on  the  following  grounds :  First,  if  the 
Spirits  which  come  out  of  the  Cabinet  be  genuine,  it  is  of  very  small 
moment  how  they  got  in,  and  no  possible  scrutiny  of  the  material 
structure  of  the  Cabinet  will  disclose  the  process.  Secondly,  if  the 
Spirits  be  fraudulent,  the  Mediums  are  too  quick-witted  and  ingenious 
in  their  methods  of  introducing  confederates  iuto  the  Cabinet  not  to 
conceal  all  traces  of  mechanical  contrivance  far  too  effectually  to  be 
detected  in  any  cursory  examination.  It  is  also  to  be  borne  in  mind 
that  much  can  be  done  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  which  is  sometimes 
total  for  a  few  minutes  before  the  seance  begins,  and  also  that  the  notes 
of  the  melodeon  are  sufficiently  deep  and  loud  to  drown  not  a  little 
rustling.  If  the  Mediums  are  deceitful  I  have  always  felt  that  in  any 
endeavor  to  unmask  them  the  odds  are  heavily  in  their  favor.  The 
methods  are  manifold  whereby  confederates  may  be  introduced  into  the 
Cabinet:  from  above,  from  below,  and,  enveloped  in  black  stuff,  from 
back  parlors,  rooms  and  closets.  It  is  not  what  goes  into  the  Cabinet 
which,  in  my  opinion,  demands  our  scrutiny  but  what  comes  out  of  it ; 
it  is  to  the  Spirits  to  which  all  our  tests  should  be  applied,  the  Cabinet 
and  the  Medium  are  quite  secondary.  Furthermore,  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  those  who  sit  nearest  to  the  Cabinet  are  always  staunch 
friends  of  the  Medium,  or  known  by  her  to  be  perfectly  safe  and  harm- 
less. 

Not  infrequently  a  Materialized  Spirit  is  seen  to  subside  into  the 
floor  between  the  folds  of  the  curtains  at  the  opening  of  the  Cabinet. 
This  is  termed  'de-materialization,'  and  not  a  little  mystery  is  ascribed 
to  it.  The  mystery  vanishes  when  we  reflect  how  easy  it  is  for  a  lithe 
and  active  young  woman  so  to  bow  down  quickly,  even  to  the  very 
ground,  as  to  convey  the  impression,  when  her  white  garments  are  alone 
visible  against  a  black  background,  that  she  has  sunk  into  the  floor. 
I  have  at  times  distinctly  felt  the  faint  jar  caused  by  the  Medium's  fal- 
ling backward  within  the  dark  curtains  a  little  too  hastily.     At  times, 


153 

when  the  Spirit  is  wholly  within  the  Cabinet,  and  visible  only  through 
the  parted  folds  of  the  curtain,  the  semblance  of  a  gradual  sinking  is 
obtained  by  simply  uniting  slowly  the  two  folds  of  the  black  curtain, 
beginning  at  the  head  and  gradually  closing  them  down  to  the  feet; 
the  room  is  generally  so  dark  that  the  dark  curtain  is  indistinguishable 
at  a  little  distance,  and  the  effect  of  slowly  falling  is  admirably  con- 
veyed. In  one  instance,  where  the  Spiritual  garments  were  not  white, 
but  particolored  (the  Spirit  was  a  Scotch  girl  and  wore  the  tartan),  the 
effect  of  de-materializing  was  capitally  given  by  the  Spirit's  standing 
just  inside  the  slightly  parted  curtains,  and  then  allowing  the  whole 
outer  costume,  even  to  the  head-dress,  to  fall  swiftly  to  the  floor.  Per- 
haps the  best  effect  in  this  line,  that  I  have  seen,  was  on  one  occasion 
when  a  Spirit  had  retired  within  the  folds  of  the  curtain,  but  apparently 
immediately  reappeared  again  at  the  opening ;  she  had  been  habited 
somewhat  like  a  nun  with  white  bands  and  fillets  around  the  head  and 
face ;  thus,  too,  was  she  clad  at  her  reappearance,  but,  as  I  sat  quite 
close  to  the  Cabinet,  I  perceived  that  the  figure  was  composed  merely 
of  the  garments  of  the  former  Spirit,  and  that  there  was  no  face  at  all 
within  the  head-gear.  I  am  sure  the  omission  could  not  have  been 
detected  at  the  distance  at  which  the  rest  of  the  circle  sat.  This  snow- 
white  figure  was  allowed  to  sink  very,  very  slowly,  the  dark  curtains 
uniting  above  it  as  it  gradually  sank,  until  only  the  oval  white  head- 
dress around  what  should  have  been  a  face  rested  for  a  few  seconds  on 
the  very  floor,  and  then  suddenly  collapsed.  It  was  in  the  highest 
degree  ingeniously  devised  and  artistically  executed. 

There  are  also  various  styles  of  appearing  as  well  as  of  disap- 
pearing. I  think  the  very  best  and  most  effective  of  them  all 
is  where  a  Spirit  gradually  materializes  before  our  very  eyes,  outside 
of  the  Cabinet,  far  enough,  indeed,  outside  to  give  the  appearance  to  a 
visitor  directly  in  front  of  rising  up  from  the  very  centre  of  the  room. 
A  minute  spot  of  white,  no  larger  than  a  dollar,  is  first  noticed  on  the 
floor ;  this  gradually  increases  in  size,  until  there  is  a  filmy,  gauzy  mass 
which  rises  fold  on  fold  like  a  fountain,  and  then,  when  it  is  about  a 
foot  and  a-half  high,  out  of  it  rises  a  Spirit  to  her  full  height,  and  either 
swiftly  glides  to  greet  a  loved  one  in  the  circle,  or  as  swiftly  retires  to 
the  Cabinet.  It  is  really  beautiful,  and  its  charm  is  not  diminished 
by  a  knowledge  of  the  simplicity  of  the  process,  which,  as  I  have  sat 
more  than  once  when  the  Cabinet  was  almost  in  profile,  I  soon  detected. 
The  room  is  very  dark,  the  outline  of  the  black  muslin  Cabinet  can 
only  with  difficulty  be  distinguished  even  to  one  sitting  within  six  feet 
of  it ;  a  fold  of  black  cloth,  perhaps  five  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide,  is 


154 

thrown  from  the  Cabinet  forward  into  the  room,  one  end  is  held 
within  the  Cabinet  at  about  two  or  three  feet  above  the  floor,  and 
from  under  the  extreme  opposite  edge,  where  it  rests  on  the  floor,  some 
white  tulle  is  slowly  protruded,  a  very  little  at  first,  but  gradually  more 
and  more  is  thrust  out,  until  there  is  enough  there  to  permit  the  Spirit, 
who  has  crept  out  from  the  Cabinet  under  the  black  cloth  and  has  been 
fousy  pushing  out  the  white  tulle,  to  get  her  head  and  shoulders  well 
within  the  mass,  when  she  rises  swiftly  and  gracefully,  and  the  dark 
cloth  is  drawn  back  into  the  Cabinet.  I  always  want  to  applaud  it ;  it 
is  charming. 

On  one  occasion,  a  Spirit  tried  this  pretty  mode  of  materialization, 
not  directly  in  front  of  the  Cabinet,  but  at  the  side  quite  close  to  where 
I  sat.  The  Cabinet  was  merely  a  frame  to  wrhich  were  attached  black 
muslin  or  cloth  curtains,  and  a  Spirit  can  emerge  at  the  side  quite  as 
conveniently  as  in  front.  Unfortunately  this  time,  through  some  heed- 
lessness, the  Spirit  did  not  creep  out  of  the  frame-work  with  sufficient 
care,  and  some  portion  of  her  garments  must  have  caught  when  she  was 
only  on  her  knees.  I  never  shall  forget  the  half-comic,  half-appealing, 
feminine  glance  as  her  eyes  looked  up  into  mine,  when  she  was  only 
partially  materialized  and  some  plaguey  nail  had  caught  her  angel 
robe.  It  "was  very  hard  not  to  spring  to  her  assistance ;  but  such  gal- 
lantry wrould  have  been  excessively  ill-timed,  so  I  was  forced  to  sit  still 
while  the  poor  animula,  vagula,  blandula,w orked  herself  free  and  arose 
unfettered  by  my  side. 

Perhaps  this  is  as  fitting  a  place  as  any  to  mention  the  test  whereby 
I  have  tried  the  Spirits  wTho  have  come  to  me. 

As  this  same  lovely  Spirit  arose  and  looked  graciously  down  on  me 
and  held  out  her  hands  in  welcome,  I  arose  also  to  my  feet,  and  peer- 
ing anxiously  into  her  face,  asked,  '  Is  this  Olivia  ? '  '  Yes,'  she 
softly  murmured  in  reply.  Then  ensued  the  following  conversation 
which  I  reproduce  as  faithfully  as  I  can.  It  was  broken  off  once  by 
the  Spirit's  retiring  into  the  Cabinet,  but  resumed  wThen  she  again  ap- 
peared to  me. 

1  Ah,  Olive  dear,  how  lovely  of  you  to  materialize  !  Did  you  really 
want  to  come  back  ? '  'Very  much,  of  course,'  she  answered.  '  And  do 
you  remember  the  sweet  years  of  old  ? '  '  All  of  them,'  she  whispered. 
1  Do  you  remember,'  I  continued, '  the  old  oak  near  Sumner-place?'  [A 
happy  hit,  in  the  longitude  of  Boston !  ]  '  Yes,  indeed,  I  do,'  was  the  low 
reply,  as  her  head  fell  gently  on  my  shoulder.  '  And  do  you  remember, 
Olive  dear,  wrhose  names  wrere  carved  on  it  ? '  Yes ;  ah,  yes ! '  '  Oh, 
Olive,  there's  one  thing  I  want  so  much  to  ask  you  about.     Tell  me, 


155 

dear,  if  I  speak  of  anything  you  don't  remember.  What  was  the  matter 
with  you  that  afternoon,  one  summer,  when  your  father  rode  his  hunter 
to  the  town,  and  Albert  followed  after  upon  his  ;  and  then  your  mother 
trundled  to  the  gate  behind  the  dappled  grays.  Do  you  remember  it. 
dear?'  'Perfectly.'  '  Well,  don't  you  remember,  nothing  seemed  to 
please  you  that  afternoon,  you  left  the  novel  all  uncut  upon  the  rose- 
wood shelf,  you  left  your  new  piano  shut,  something  seemed  to  worry 
you.  Do  you  remember  it,  dear  one?'  'All  of  it,  yes,  yes.'  'Then 
you  came  singing  down  to  that  old  oak,  and  kissed  the  place  where  I 
had  carved  our  names  with  many  vows.  Tell  me,  you  little  witch, 
who  were  you  thinking  of  all  that  time  ?  '  '  All  the  while  of  you,'  she 
sighed.  '  And  do  you,  oh,  do  you  remember  that  you  fell  asleep  under 
the  oak,  and  that  a  little  acorn  fell  into  your  bosom  and  you  tossed  it 
out  in  a  pet  ?  Ah,  Olive  dear,  I  found  that  acorn,  and  kissed  it  twice, 
and  kissed  it  thrice  for  thee  !  And  do  you  know  that  it  has  grown  into 
a  fine  young  oak ? '  'I  know  it,'  she  answered  softly  and  sadly,  ' I 
often  go  to  it! '  This  was  almost  too  much  for  me,  and  as  my  memory, 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  of  Tennyson's  Talking  Oak  was  growing 
misty,  I  was  afraid  the  interview  might  become  embarrassing  for  lack 
of  reminiscences,  so  I  said,  'Dearest  Olivia,  that  is  so  lovely  of  you.  There, 
be  a  good  girl,  good-bye  now.  You'll  surely  come  and  see  me  again 
the  next  time  I  come  here,  won't  you?"  'Yes,  indeed,  I  will.'  I  re- 
leased my  arm  from  encircling  a  very  human  waist,  and  Olive  lifted 
her  head  from  my  shoulder,  where  she  had  been  speaking  close  to  my 
ear,  and  de-materialized. 

Marie  St.  Clair,  who,  on  Spiritual  authority  as  I  have  shown 
above,  shares  the  ownership  with  Sister  Belle  of '  Yorick's'  skull  in  my 
possession,  has  never  failed  to  assent  whenever  I  ask  a  Spirit  if  it  be  she. 
To  be  sure,  she  varies  with  every  different  Medium,  but  that  is  only  one 
of  her  piquant  little  ways,  which  I  early  learned  to  overlook  and  at 
last  grew  to  like.  She  is  both  short  and  tall,  lean  and  plump,  with 
straight  hair  and  with  curls,  young  and  middle-aged,  so  that  now  it 
affords  me  real  pleasure  to  meet  a  new  variety  of  her ;  but  in  all  her 
varieties  she  never  fails  to  express  her  delight  over  my  guarding  with 
care  that  which  was  'the  last  thing  on  her  neck  before  she  passed  over.' 
I  was  extremely  anxious  to  obtain  a  written  acknowledgment  of  this 
pleasure  from  Marie,  and  accordingly  I  took  with  me  to  one  of  the 
seances  a  little  trinket,  and  told  the  Spirit  that  I  would  give  it  to  her 
if  she  would  just  writedown  for  me  a  few  words  expressive  of  this 
pleasure,  and,  as  she  was  disappearing  into  the  Cabinet,  I  thrust  a  writ- 
ing-tablet and  a  pencil  into  her  hand.     Before  the  seance  closed,  she 


156 

reappeared  to  me,  and  handing  me  a  paper  claimed  my  promise.  In 
full  faith  I  gave  her  the  little  breast-pin,  and  after  the  seance,  to  my 
chagrin,  I  found  the  writing  on  the  paper  was  not  from  her,  but  a  mes- 
sage from  my  '  father,'  announcing  that  he  had  '  found  the  next  life  a 
great  truth,'  which  was,  certainly,  cheering,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
he  was  enjoying  the  present  in  so  remarkably  hearty  and  healthy  a 
manner. 

For  the  next  seance  I  provided  an  amber  necklace,  on  whose  clasp  I 
had  '  Marie '  engraved,  and  when  the  Spirit  of  the  fair  French  girl  ap- 
peared, I  taxed  her  with  her  naughty,  deceitful  ways,  and  told  her  that 
I  would  not  give  her  the  necklace,  which  I  had  brought  for  her,  until 
she  gave  me  what  I  asked  for,  in  her  own  writing.  In  a  very  few 
minutes  she  reappeared  and  handed  me  a  paper,  whereon  she  had  writ- 
ten: 'I  am  so  glad  you  have  kept  them  so  nicely,  Your  Marie.' 
(As  her  skull  was  shared  by  Sister  Belle,  I  suppose  Marie  was  strictly 
logical,  if  ungrammatical,  in  referring  to  it  as  '  them.')  It  was  enough ; 
in  a  few  minutes  after,  Marie  reappeared  wearing  the  amber  beads 
glistening  round  her  neck. 

No  sooner  had  I  given  the  necklace  than  occurred  another  illustra- 
tion of  the  remarkable  and  amiable  pliancy  with  which  Materialized 
Spirits  will  answer  to  any  name  with  which  they  are  addressed.  The  Me- 
dium who  conducted  the  seance  came  to  me  and  said,  '  There's  a  Spirit 
in  the  Cabinet  who  says  she's  your  niece.'  Very  thoughtlessly  I  replied, 
'  But  I  haven't  any  niece  in  the  Spirit  world.'  The  instant  after  I  had 
spoken,  I  felt  my  mistake.  You  must  never  repel  any  Spirit  that  comes 
to  you.  It  throws  a  coolness  over  your  whole  intercourse  with  that 
particular  Spirit-band;  no  Spirit  from  it  will  be  likely  to  come  to 
you  again.  No  surface  of  madrepores  is  more  sensitive  to  a  touch 
than  a  Cabinet  full  of  Spirits  to  a  chilling  syllable  of  failure.  To  re- 
gain my  lost  position,  therefore,  I  said  hastily,  '  But  can  it  be  Effie  ?' 
(It  was  a  mere  hap-hazard  name ;  I  know  no  '  Effie.')  The  Medium 
went  to  the  Cabinet  and  returned  with  the  answer,  '  She  says  she's 
Effie,  and  she  wants  to  see  you.'  Of  course,  I  went  with  alacrity  to 
where  the  curtains  of  the  Cabinet  stood  open,  and  there,  just  within 
it,  saw  a  Spirit  whom  I  recognized  as  having  appeared  once  before 
during  the  evening  with  Marie,  when  the  latter  had  materialized  as  a 
sailor-boy,  and  the  two  had  danced  a  Spiritualist  horn-pipe  to  the  tune  of 
'  A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave.'  ■  Oh,  Effie  dear,'  I  said,  'is  that  you ?' 
•  Yes,  dear  Uncle,  I  wanted  so  much  to  see  you.'  '  Forgive  me,  dear,'  I 
pleaded,  '  for  having  forgotten  you.'  '  Certainly  I  will,  dear  Uncle, 
and  won't  you  bring  me  a  necklace,  too  ?  '  '  Certainly,  dear,'  I  replied, 
1  when  I  come  here  again.'     I  have  never  been  there  since. 


157 

Thus  is  illustrated  what  will  be,  I  think,  the  experience  of  every  one 
who  cares  to  apply  this  test  to  Materialized  Spirits.  When  the 
investigator  is  unknown  to  the  Medium,  a  Spirit  materialized  through 
that  Medium  will  confess  to  any  name  in  the  heavens  above  or  the 
earth  beneath,  in  the  world  of  fiction  or  the  world  of  reality.  Of 
course,  it  would  not  do  to  ask  a  Spirit  whether  or  not  it  were  some  well- 
known  public,  or  equally  well-known  fictitious,  character.  You  would 
be  repelled  if  you  should  ask  a  Spirit  if  it  were  '  Yankee  Doodle,'  but 
I  am  by  no  means  sure  that  it  would  not  confess  to  being  '  Cap'en 
Good'in/  who  accompanied  Yankee  Doodle  and  his  father  on  their  trip 
to  town,  and  whose  name  is  less  familiar  in  men's  mouths.  All  the 
good,  earnest,  simple-hearted  folk  who  attend  these  seances  ask  the 
Spirits,  when  they  appear  to  them  for  the  first  time,  if  they  are 
father,  mother,  brother,  husband,  wife,  or  sister,  and  the  Spirit  will 
in  every  case  confess  the  kinship  asked  for.  But,  as  I  have  just  said, 
the  investigator  need  not  restrict  himself  to  his  family,  his  friends,  or 
his  acquaintances.  Let  him  enter  the  world  of  fiction,  or  of  poetry,  or  of 
history,  he  has  but  to  call  for  whomsoever  he  will,  and  the  Materialized 
Spirit  will  answer  :  '  Lo  !  here  am  I ! ' 

Let  me  strengthen  this  with  the  following  additional  illustration : 
Not  long  ago  at  a  Materializing  seance  where  I  was,  I  think, 
unknown  to  everyone,  certainly  to  the  Medium,  a  Spirit  emerged  from 
the  Cabinet,  clad  in  flowing  white  robes,  and  advanced  towards  me 
with  a  wavering  gait,  which  could  be  readily  converted  into  a  tottering 
walk,  if  I  should  perchance  ask  if  it  were  my  great-grandmother,  or 
could  be  interpreted  as  the  feeble  incertitude  of  a  first  materialization, 
if  I  should  perchance  descend  the  family  tree  and  ask  for  a  more 
youthful  scion.  I  arose  as  it  approached  and  asked :  '  Is  this  Rosa- 
mund ? '  '  Yes ! '  replied  the  Spirit,  still  wobbling  a  little,  and  in  doubt 
whether  to  assume  the  role  of  youth  or  of  old  age.  '  What !  Fair  Rosa- 
mund ! '  I  exclaimed,  throwing  into  my  voice  all  the  joy  and  buoyancy 
I  could  master.  The  hint  to  the  Spirit  was  enough.  All  trace  of 
senility  vanished,  and  with  equal  joyousness  she  responded  '  Yes,  it's 
indeed  Rosamund  ! '  Then  I  went  on,  '  Dearest  Rosamund,  there's 
something  I  want  so  much  to  ask  you  Do  you  remember  who  gave 
you  that  bowl  just  before  you  died  ?'  Here  Fair  Rosamund  nodded 
her  head  gaily  and  pointed  her  finger  at  me.  '  Oh,  no,  no,  no,'  I  said, 
1  you  forget,  Fair  Rosamund,  I  wasn't  there  then.  It  was  at  Wood- 
stock.' 'Oh,  yes,  yes,'  she  hastily  rejoined,  'so  it  was;  it  was  at 
Woodstock.'  ■  And  it  was  Eleanor  who  offered  you  that  bowl.'  '  To 
be  sure,  I  remember  it  now  perfectly.      It  was  Eleanor.'      '  But  Rosa- 


158 

mund,  Fair  Rosamund,  what  made  you  drink  that  bowl  ?  Had  you 
no  suspicions  ? '  '  No,  I  had  no  suspicions.'  And  here  she  shook  her 
head  very  sadly.  '  Didn't  you  see  what  Eleanor  had  in  her  other 
hand? '  '  No.'  '  Ah,  Fair  Rosamund,  I'm  afraid  she  was  a  bad  lot.' 
'  Indeed  she  was!'  (with  great  emphasis).  '  What  cruel  eyes  she  had  !' 
1  Hadn't  she,  though  ! '  ■  How  did  she  find  you  out? '  '  I  haven't  an 
idea.'  '  Ah,  Fair  Rosamund,  do  you  remember  how  beautiful  you  were 
[here  the  Spirit  simpered  a  little]  after  you  were  dead,  and  how  the 
people  came  from  far  and  near  to  look  at  you  ? '  '  Yes,'  said  Fair 
Rosamund,  '  I  looked  down  on  them  all  the  while.'  And  here  she 
glided  back  into  the  Cabinet. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  a  Spiritualist  might  urge  that  the  test  which 
I  apply  is  not  a  fair  one — that  guile  will  beget  guile,  that  the  Spirits 
meet  me  as  I  meet  them. 

But  what  other  possible  way  have  I  of  finding  out  who  the  Spirits 
are,  when  they  do  not  tell  me  in  advance,  but  by  asking  them?  When- 
ever they  have  been  announced  to  me  as  this  or  that  Spirit,  I  invari- 
ably treat  them  as  the  Spirits  of  those  whom  they  assert  themselves  to 
be,  and,  in  my  conclusions,  am  guided  only  by  the  pertinency  of  their 
answers  to  my  questions.  Whenever  William  Shakespeare  appears  to 
me  (and,  by  the  way,  let  me  here  parenthetically  note,  as  throwing 
light  on  a  vexed  question,  that  Shakespeare  in  the  Spirit-world  '  favors ' 
the  Chandos  Portrait,  even  to  the  two  little  white  collar  strings  hang- 
ing down  in  front ;  his  Spirit  has  visited  me  several  times,  and  such 
was  his  garb  when  I  saw  him  most  distinctly) ;  when,  I  repeat, 
Shakespeare  materializes  in  the  Cabinet  for  me,  do  I  not  always  most 
reverently  salute  him,  and  does  he  not  graciously  nod  to  me — until  I 
venture  most  humbly  to  ask  him  what  the  misprint,  '  Vllorxa '  in 
Timon  of  Athens  stands  for,  when  he  always  slams  the  curtains  in  my 
face?  (I  meekly  own  that  perhaps  he  is  justified.)  Have  lever 
failed  in  respectful  homage  to  General  Washington  ?  Did  I  ever 
evince  the  slightest  mistrust  of  Indian  'braves?' 

When  a  Spirit  comes  out  of  the  Cabinet  especially  to  me,  how  am  I 
to  know,  or  to  find  out,  who  it  is  but  by  asking  ?  If  it  be  not  the 
Spirit  that  I  name,  will  it  not,  if  it  has  a  shred  of  honesty,  set 
me  right?  What  hinders  it  from  telling  me  just  who  it  is?  If 
it  be  the  Spirit  of  my  great-grandmother,  it  can  be  surely  no  satis- 
faction to  her,  after  all  the  bother  of  materialization,  to  hold  converse 
with  me  as  the  Spirit  of  Sally  in  our  Alley  ;  and  if  she  be,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  a  '  spirity '  old  lady,  she  will  instantly  undeceive 
me,  and  ■  let  me  know  who  I  am  talking  to.'    But  why  should  I  antici- 


159 

pate  deceit  at  Spiritual  hands?  If  William  Shakespeare  can  appear 
to  me,  why  not  Fair  Rosamund  ?  Hereupon  a  Spiritualist  may  main- 
tain that  if  the  Spirit  said  she  was  Fair  Rosamund,  and  displayed  a 
familiarity  with  the  incidents  of  that  frail  woman's  life  and  death,  she 
probably  was  Fair  Rosamund.  So  be  it.  I  yield,  and  will  go  farther, 
and  hereafter  find  no  more  difficulty,  than  in  her  case,  in  Tennyson's 
Olivia,  Marie  St.  Clair,  and  in  the  heroes  and  heroines  of  Scheherezade's 
Thousand  and  One  Nights. 

Although  I  have  been  thus  thwarted  at  every  turn  in  my  investiga- 
tions of  Spiritualism,  and  found  fraud  where  I  had  looked  for  honesty, 
and  emptiness  where  I  had  hoped  for  fulness,  I  cannot  think  it  right 
to  pass  a  verdict,  universal  in  its  application,  where  far  less  than  the 
universe  of  Spiritualism  has  been  observed.  My  field  of  examination 
has  been  limited.  There  is  an  outlying  region  claimed  by  Spiritualists 
which  I  have  not  touched,  and  into  which  I  would  gladly  enter,  were 
there  any  prospect  that  I  should  meet  with  more  success.  I  am  too 
deeply  imbued  with  the  belief  that  we  are  such  stuff  as  dreams  are 
made  on,  to  be  unwilling  to  accept  a  few  more  shadows  in  my  sleep. 
Unfortunately,  in  my  experience,  Dante's  motto  must  be  inscribed  over 
an  investigation  of  Spiritualism,  and  all  hope  must  be  abandoned  by 
those  who  enter  on  it. 

If  the  performances  which  I  have  witnessed  are,  after  all,  in  their 
essence  Spiritual,  their  mode  of  manifestation  certainly  places  them 
only  on  the  margin,  the  very  outskirts  of  that  realm  of  mystery  which 
Spiritualism  claims  as  its  own.  Spiritualism,  pure  and  undefiled,  if  it 
mean  anything  at  all,  must  be  something  far  better  than  Slate  Writing 
and  Raps.  These  grosser  physical  manifestations  can  be  but  the  mere 
ooze  and  scum  cast  up  by  the  waves  on  the  idle  pebble,  the  waters  of  a 
heaven-lit  sea,  if  it  exist,  must  lie  far  out  beyond. 

The  time  is  not  far  distant,  I  cannot  but  think,  when  the  more  ele- 
vated class  of  Spiritualists  will  cast  loose  from  all  these  physical  mani- 
festations, which,  even  if  they  be  proved  genuine,  are  but  little  removed 
from  Materialism,  and  eventually  Materializing  Seances,  held  on 
recurrent  days,  and  at  fixed  hours,  will  become  unknown. 

Horace  Howard  Furness. 


INDEX. 


Advertisement   calling    for   mediums, 

90. 
Appendix,  26-159. 
Briggs,  Mr.  Fred.,  medium,  29,  93. 
Caftray,  Mr.  Joseph,  medium,  124. 
Flint,  Mr.  K.  W.,  medium,  128,  133. 
Fullerton,  Prof.  G.  S.,  on  the  Slade- 

Zoellner  investigation,  104. 
Furness,  H.  H.,  on  materialization,  148- 
159. 
On  mediumistic  development,  124- 

127. 
On  Slade,  70. 
Independent  slate  writing,   6,   14,  16, 

27,  28,  29,  31,  32,  48,  96,  115. 
Kane,  Mrs.  Margaret  Fox,  33,  35. 
Keeler,  Mr.  P.  L.  0.  A.,  medium,  22, 

82. 
Keeler,  Mr.  W.  M.,  medium,  22,  91. 
Kellar,  Mr.  Harry,  77. 
Knerr,  Dr.,  on  slate  writing,  115. 
Koenig,   Prof.    Geo.    A.,   about   Mrs. 

Thayer,  99. 
Leidy,     Prof.     Joseph,     about     Mrs. 
Thayer,  98. 
On  mediums,  103. 
Letter  from  Mrs.  Kane,  48. 
Letters,  sealed,  128-147. 
Lord,  Mrs.  Maud  E.,  medium,  24,  79. 
Mansfield,  Dr.  James,  128-133,  142. 
Martin,  Mrs.  Eliza  A.,  medium,  128, 

138. 


Martin,  Mrs.  Dr.  Eleanor,  128,  135. 
Materialization,  148-159. 
Mediumistic  development,  124. 
Names  of  commissioners,  5,  25. 
Patterson,  Mrs.  S.  E.,  medium,  6,  14, 

16,  27,  28,  31,  49,  115. 
Photographs,  spiritual,  22,  91. 
Powell,  Mr.,  medium,  24,  87. 
Preface  to  the  Appendix,  26. 
Kappings,  spirit,  21,  33,  35,  48. 
Report  of  commission,  3-25. 
Eothermel,  Dr.,  24,  87. 
Screen,  use  of  by  Keeler,  22,  84. 
Sealed  letters,  128-147. 
Slade,   Dr.    Henry,   examined  by  Dr. 
Pepper,  75. 

letter  from,  77. 

personal  appearance,  75. 

examination  of,  7,  52-76. 

resolution  of  commission  in  regard 
to,  76. 
Slate  writing,  6,  14,  16,  27,  28,  29,  31, 

32,  48,  96,  115. 
Spirit  rappings,  21,  33,  35,  48. 
Spiritual  photographs,  22. 
Thayer,  Mrs.  M.  B.,  medium,  96,  98, 

99. 
Tricks  of  jugglers,  19.  20. 

of  Slade,  12. 
Wells,  Mrs.,  medium,  101. 
Zoellner,  Slade-,  report  on,  104. 

calling  attention  to  in  report,  25. 


160 


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